Utilization of Sugarcane Production Technology by Members of Collaborative Sugarcane Farming in Takhli District, Nakhon Sawan Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this research were; 1) to study the personal and economic factors of members of collaborative sugarcane farming in Takhli district, 2)to study members’ exposure to information regarding sugarcane production technology, 3) to study members’ utilization of sugarcane production technology, and 4) to compare personal, economic, and information exposure factors affecting the use of production technology. The sample group consisted of 110 members of collaborative sugarcane farming in Takhli district, Nakhon Sawan province, who participated in the 2024 pilot project to increase sugarcane productivity through innovation under the Lower Northern Provincial Cluster. Data was collected using structured interviews. The statistics employed included percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Hypothesis testing was conducted using t-test, F-test, and LSD for pairwise comparison. The research results revealed that most members were female, with an average age of 58.30 years and an education level of primary school. The average household size was 3.45 people, with an average sugarcane farming experience of 25.13 years. The average number of laborers was 5.10 people. The average income from sugarcane cultivation was 11,063.64 baht per rai, and the average production cost was 8,675.12 baht per rai. The overall level of sugarcane production technology utilization was moderate, which included: 1) sugarcane variety selection technology, 2) soil preparation technology, 3) planting technology, 4) sugarcane crop management technology, and 5) harvesting and post-harvest technology. Hypothesis testing indicated that differences in farming experience, number of laborers, yield, and interpersonal communication were associated with differences in the use of sugarcane production technology at a statistical significance level of 0.05.