Decision Making in Selection of Rubber Tapping Systems of Rubber Farmers in Na Thawi District, Songkhla Province

Abstract

          The aim of this study was to examine the rubber tapping systems and the factors affecting the decision making of rubber farmers in the selection of rubber tapping systems. 382 households in Na Thawi district, Songkhla province, were selected to be involved in this study. Structured-interview questionnaires were used for data collection. Frequency distribution, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were the statistics used for data analysis. The results of the study indicated that the rubber tapping systems that farmers chose to use in the area could be classified into 2 main tapping systems. The first tapping system was the one suggested by the Rubber Research Institute, and 29.32% of farmers opted for it. The second system, which was the one commonly used by rubber farmers, had been adopted by 70.68% of farmers. However, the study found that the tapping systems that farmers preferred for general use were the 1/3S 3d/4, 1/2S 3d/4, 1/2S 2d/3, 1/2S d/2, 1/3S d/1, and 1/3S 2d/3 systems, which they endorsed at the percentage levels of 30.37, 30.10, 16.75, 7.07, 4.97, and 2.88, respectively. Rubber farmers tended to choose the tapping system that had a high tapping frequency (tapping days.) Three factors affected the farmers’ decisions when choosing a tapping system. Those were the decrease in rubber prices ( = 4.08, SD = 0.84), incomes from rubber plantations ( = 4.04, SD = 1.45), and the age of rubber trees
( = 4.02, SD = 0.92). Most of the farmers (70.94%) had changed their tapping system at some point after opening their tapping businesses. Farmers who had changed their tapping systems in the past reported that they had done so for three main reasons. Firstly, they made changes because they wanted to increase their incomes (38.22% of farmers). Secondly, they changed the way they tapped because of changes in the season or climate (35.34%). Thirdly, farmers tried to compensate for the increasing age of their trees by modifying their tapping methods (21.99%). When changing tapping systems, rubber farmers changed the frequency of tapping (tapping days) and the tapping mark lengths.