Farmers’ Need of Sweet Corn Planting Under Good Agricultural Practices GAP in Fang District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

     This study was conducted to investigate 1) Socioeconomic attributes, level of knowledge and needs for sweet corn production under good agriculture practice of farmers, 2) factors effecting need for sweet corn production of the farmers, 3) problems encountered and suggestions about the sweet corn production.
An interview schedule was used for data collection corn conducted with 274 farmers growing sweet corn in Fang district, Chiang Mai province. Obtained data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results of the study revealed that most of the informants (74.40%) were male, 45.39 years old on overage, married and elementary school graduates. They had 3.45 household member and 1.93 household workforce on average. The informants had on average monthly income of 14,307 baht but they had on average household debt of 108,472.76 baht/year/household. They had 14.16 years of experience in farming under good agriculture practice and most of them did not have any social position (87.9%). The informants attended training/ educational trip 1.80 time a year and contacted the agricultural extension worker 1.40 time a year. They perceived Information through word of mouth (75.50%). As a whole, the information needed for sweet corn production under good agriculture practice at a high level (𝑥̅ = 3.95). The following were factors affecting the needs for sweet corn production: age, several household members, household income, household debt, agriculture extension worker contact, channel of information perception and knowledge about good agriculture practice. Besides, it was found that contamination of hazardous substances in agriculture and marketing were the main problems encountered. The informants were willing to be encouraged to form a group for negotiation power and marketing by concerned public/ private agencies.