KAREN'S PARTICIPATION IN HERB DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM UNDER THE ROYAL INITIATIVE PROJECT IN PHATAT PHA DAENG SUBDISTRICT, MAE SOT DISTRICT, TAK PROVINCE

Abstract

The study on Karen's participation in herb development program under the Royal Initiative Project in Phatat Pha Daeng Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak Province. The data were gathered by employing the designed questionnaires interviewed the household heads or representative of 160 sampled households. The obtained data was analyzed by statistical software package in order to represent the statistical values in term of frequency, percentage, maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Test with the given significance level of .05 Results of the study indicated that the gender of respondents were male and female, and shared with almost the same proportion, they were 50.6% and 49.4% respectively. Their average number of household member were 5. Agriculture was their main occupation, and their average annual income and expenditure were 33.968 baht and 28,932 baht respectively. The former domiciles of the most (83.1%) were located in the present areas, and their resettled periods were 39 years. The proportion of respondents who weren't social group member was 50.6%. Most of them (84.4%) participated in reforestation activities which practiced in the areas near by their villages. Most of them (70%) had never attended any training course about herbs. Most of them (80.6%) received information about herbs, 70.6% of them having knowledge of herbs at high level and used to utilized herbs (97.4%). The most of Karen's participated in the herbs development program activities at the low level (62.5%). The socio-economic factors affecting Karen's participation in herb development program under the Royal Initiative Project were herb information receipt, used to attend the herbs training course and participation in the reforestation project activities. Thus, the Officers of Coordination Center under the Village Development Project should recognize the significance of the public relation and to initiate the training course in herbs, as well as to encourage the Karen's participation more in reforestation activities under the herb project.