Revolving Fund System for Arabica Coffee Extension of Thai-Australia Highland Agricultural and Social Development Project : Effectiveness, Problems and Obstacles

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study suitable revolving fund systems, farmers participation and their opinions, payback capabilities, monitoring, adopting, factors affecting on funding effectiveness and problems occurred in those systems.

Quantitative analysis by questionnaires is compromised with qualitative analysis. Data collection was carried out by sampling from 119 samples, most were male of 30-39 years old, with no education, married with 3.8 children. The average household numbered was 6 persons and labor available from household was 3 persons on average.

In coffee cultivation, household farm had 736 coffee trees on average, with 535 bearing trees. Farmers had an average coffee growing experience of 6 years. The distance from farmer's house to the coffee plantation is 16 minutes by walk. Most farmers had participated in agricultural training courses for 2.45 times on average. If there were problems in cultivation farmers contacted the Public Welfare Department. Farmers 54.5% did not want to have additional knowledges in coffee cultivation, 94.9% sold their coffee in parchment, average production was 120 kg/household and the income was 6,020 baht.

Farmers participated in the revolving fund were in the medium range.

Farmers' opinion on revolving fund were in low range.

For the paid back system it showed that 38.2% had paid back, 36.1% had never paid back, 25.2% had partly paid back and 74.8% never paid back on time.