Opinion of Farmers towards Growing ‘Khao Yai’ Pomelo in Bang Sakae Sub-District, Bang Khon Thi District, Samut Songkhram Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study : 1) demographic characteristic 2) economic factors,
3) media exposure, 4) techniques for growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo, 5) opinion of the farmers about growing
‘Khao Yai’ pomelo 6) relationship between demographic characteristics, economic factors, media
exposure, opinion of farmers towards growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo in Bang Sakae sub-district, Bang Khon
Thi district, Samut Songkhram province. Samples consisted of 120 Khao Yai’ Pomelo farmers. Statistical
analyses were frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum and chi-square.
Results of the study revealed that most of farmers were male, an average age 56.76 years old, married
and attained the secondary school or lower. The average experiences for growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo were
19.02 years. The average area for growing ‘Khao yai’ pomelo was 5.44 rai and the average amount of product was 1,315 kgs./rai/year. The average income from growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo was 38,141.22
Baht/rai/year. The average expense from growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo was 5,460.41 Baht/rai/year. Labor
was 1-2 persons (68.3%), Farmers received information about pomelo from the people media (74.2%) The
techniques of growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo were not puttings salt round pomelo bugh (69.2%), scooping
lane (80.0%) once per 2 years, pruning (64.2%) 1-5 times/year, growing multiple crops (68.3%) which
included banana tree. Opinion of farmers towards growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo on that average was at very
high level. Results from hyprotheses testing indicated that education level, number of pomelo production,
income from growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo, expense from growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo, people media, online
media was related to opinion of farmers towards growing ‘Khao Yai’ pomelo at 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance.