Needs for Extension of Beef Cattle Farmers in Mahasarakham province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study 1) the personal characteristics, economic factors and social factors of farmers 2) the situation and problems of beef cattle raising by the farmers 3) the needs for extension in beef cattle raising and 4) a comparison on the needs for extension of beef cattle farmers who were different in personal characteristics, economic and social factors and beef cattle raising situation. Data had been collected during December 2015-January 2016 with 202 samples of Beef cattle farmers in MahaSarakham Province, using an interview schedule. Data analysis was made with program. The statistics are frequency, percentage, means, maximum, minimum and standard deviation. For  comparison, the needs for extension using the t-test and F-test the confidence level of 93%. The results of the study revealed that the subjects were male with average age of 54.95 years old and held certificate of primary education. The famers had rice farming as their main occupation and beef
cattle raising as secondary occupation. Total income of the average household in the year 64,870.30 baht, cash flow in beef cattle raising each year, the average of 11,024 baht. All proceeds from beef cattle, the average household 47,656.72 baht. And the labours for beef cattle raising with average of 1.69 persons. The farmers had experiences in beef cattle raising for an average of 21.2 years. The beef cattle was crossbred of Thai native cattle and American Brahman. For of the farmers sold their beef cattle to local a middleman who bought direct in the village; the popular beef cattle sold were bull. The farmers’ needs for knowledge about beef cattle were high level such as: 1) how to grow grass and pasture management, 2) how to protect epidemics in beef cattle, 3) how to preservation a forage crop and 4) how to buying bull and cow. The farmers’ needs for extension of beef cattle were high level such as: 1) visit to individual beef cattle farmer, 2) the study tour, 3) the training in beef cattle raising, 4) knowledge transfer to community leaders, 5) setting a group demonstrative beef cattle raising and 6) giving guidance documents to beef cattle raising and 7) new channels, radio and television including beef cattle raising. and The farmers’ needs for support in raising beef cattle were high level such as: 1)service of the Artificial Insemination (AI), 2) the providing support for breeding service by hand mating method, 3) selling anthelmintic drug and external parasitic agents, 4) service of the vaccination and the healthy drug, 5) selling of vitamin and mineral, 6) providing support for cheap grass seed, 7) selling of the bull for the interested farmer group about breeding improvement and 8) selling of the bell straw and hay during the summer The comparison on the needs for extension of beef cattle raising by farmers could be seen in 3 major aspects: the knowledge on beef cattle raising, the extension of beef cattle raising and the support for beef cattle raising. by classified selected farmers’ characteristics as gender, age, the labors for beef cattle, experience in beef cattle and the number of beef cattle a different, it was found that there were statistically significant differences in some items.