Extension Guidelines of Organic Coffee Production in Omkoi District, Chiang Mai

Abstract

     This study was conducted to investigate: 1) socio-economic attributes of extension guideline of organic coffee production in Omkoi district, Chiang Mai; 2) knowledge and opinion about organic coffee of the farmers; 3) a level of practice in the organic coffee production of the farmers; 4) factors affecting the extension guideline of organic coffee production; 5) problem and suggestions about organic coffee production of the farmers. The population consisted of 158 organic coffee producers in Omkoi district. The sample group consisted of 114 Omkoi district farmers in Chiang Mai province, and they were obtained by simple random sampling based on Yamane’s formula. A set of questionnaires was used for data collection and analyzed by using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis.

Results of the study revealed that most of the respondents were male, 47 years old on average, uneducated and had 3 household workforces on average. They had 2.48 rai each of organic coffee farmland with an income earned from it of 23,459 baht per year on average. The respondents received information about organic coffee production 4.47 times a year on average. They mainly received the information through agricultural extension officers. They attended an organic coffee production training 2.22 times per year on average. They were group members in the community. They had a moderate level of knowledge about organic coffee production but a high level of opinion towards organic coffee production. They had a high level of practice in the organic coffee production. The following factors had statistically significant relationships with the extension guideline of organic coffee production: plantation area, group membership and opinion towards organic coffee production. The following were problems encountered: their farmlands were in a reserved forest; water scarcity; lack of knowledge and means often creates insect pest control and prevention; and the lack of capital to purchase production factors. Thereby, relevant agencies should support management knowledge about organic coffee production and create easy data recording channels for farmers.