Social Return on Investment in the Promotion of Large-leaved Liang Production to Generate Income for Poor Farm Households in Srinakarin District, Phatthalung Province

Abstract

       Thailand is classified as an upper middle-income country, but poverty remains a significant challenge to government policy implementation. With the fluctuating prices of agricultural products, farmers must acquire new knowledge and skills to enhance their existing ones for livelihoods and job stability. The project " Agro-strategy to Alleviate Poverty of Srinakarin People " offers a valuable learning opportunity for farming households in Srinakarin district, Phatthalung province, who face limited livelihood resources. This study aims to examine the agricultural production conditions of poor households in four sub-districts (Lam Sin, Ang Thong, Baan Na, and Chumphon) and to analyze the social return on investment (SROI) of the project “Agro-strategy to Alleviate Poverty of Srinakarin People”. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 131 representatives of farming households purposively-selected, and analyzed using the SROI method. The findings reveal that the average human capital in the studied households scored the highest (2.60, categorized as “sustainable”), followed by physical, natural, and economic capital at 2.42, 2.02, and 1.95, respectively (“vulnerable”). Social capital scored the lowest (1.72, “precarious”), reflecting significant hardship. The SROI analysis indicates that the investment by the Local Administrative Organization (BPA) yielded a positive return, with an SROI ratio of 1.53, meaning every 1 baht invested generated 1.53 THB in social value. The initiative involved distributing ten Bai Liang saplings per household (valued at 200 THB each), propagated through air-layering for intercropping with rubber and fruit trees. Within one month, households could harvest young leaves weekly for consumption, reducing costs in the first year and creating income opportunities from the second year onward. Each tree yielded an average of 60 THB per month, generating 600 THB per household. By the second year, farmers could propagate two air-layered branches per tree, valued at 100 THB per branch, contributing an additional 2,000 THB annually per household. These findings are valuable for related organizations including PMU A, educational institutions, and government agencies in shaping policies to support poverty alleviation research.