Logistics Management of Hen Egg Business in Chachoengsao Province

Abstract

The objectives of the research were to study the management of logistics activities by farmers and middlemen, logistics costs, hen egg business problems, and guidelines to develop logistics management of the hen egg business in Chachoengsao Province. Data were collected from 48 farmers and 5 middlemen by using questionnaire and also conducting a focus group discussion with 17 participants. The results found that management of logistics activities by farmers and middlemen were similar which consisted of demand forecasting, operational communication, egg management, transportation, and customer services, but farmers had more activities in production factors management and egg management in the hen house. Average logistics costs of farmers who sold eggs at their farm, those who sold eggs at the customer’s place, and middlemen were 13.72, 17.39, and 9.97 baht/100 eggs, respectively. Most logistics costs were the cost of loss from breakage. The major logistics problems for farmers were high wage cost and high price of fuel, while problems of middlemen were high price of fuel and inconvenient road conditions. Guidelines to develop logistics management of the egg business are that farmers should form a group in order to help each other and also improve their farm management, both groups of farmers and middlemen should improve egg management in each step of egg movement in order to reduce the loss of breakage and get higher profits.