Smallholder farmers’ adaptation in agricultural production in expanded urban areas, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the smallholder farmer’s adaptation to the impact of expanded urban areas in Chiang Mai province. This is a survey research which started by interview 6 government officers and 13 smallholder farmers who have experienced with the impact from expanded urban area in Mueang district, Mae Rim district and Hang Dong district for some general information of the study area. Then used questionnaire to collected quantitative data from 200 smallholders’ farmers. The result found that 66% of the farmer were male 50.5% age between 56-65 year. Average age of the farmer was 59.54 year old, 85.5% of the farmer have primary school level. 27% of the farmer have experience in agricultural between 41-50 years and the average experience in agricultural was 35 years. 80% of the farmer were planting in the irrigation zone 63.6% of them were planning rice and 17% were planting vegetables. 45.5% of smallholder farmers have agricultural land area between 6-15 Rai. For the career of smallholder farmers, the data showed that 81.5% of them working as farmer for their full-time career followed by 11% who work as employee and 67.5% of them work as employee for their part time career. Smallholder farmers 38% can made agricultural income between 25,001-50,000 Baht/year. Moreover, the researcher found that only 17.5% of smallholder farmers have agricultural insurance. Thai government also provide some subsidy for 73.5% of smallholder farmers. 44.8% of smallholder farmers received agricultural information from District Agricultural Extension Offices. For frequency of contacting with agricultural extension officers found that 84% of stallholder farmers contacted with agricultural extension officers between 1-5 times/year. 50.1% of smallholder farmers communicated with officers by attended to training which arranged by District Agricultural Extension Offices. In case of Membership in agricultural group found that; 73.5% of smallholder farmers were attended to agricultural group. There were factors affecting farmer adaptation from urban expansion such as education, size of agricultural land, frequency of contacting with agricultural extension officers, total income, opinion level toward agricultural changes and number of agricultural information they receive Variables that had positive correlation were education, frequency of contacting with agricultural extension officers, total income, opinion level toward agricultural changes and number of agricultural information they receive. Variables that had negative correlation were size of agricultural land. Guideline on agricultural extension for adaptation of smallholder farmers in expanded urban areas. The government should be restriction of land use and specified proper amount of agricultural area. Coordinate and control the accordance relevant policies about agricultural production in expanded urban area appropriately. Related organizations need to suggest secondary occupation beside agricultural career for the farmer. Promote safety agricultural production to farmers. Campaign and publicize about how to do agricultural complete production in expanded urban area. The farmer needs to gather agricultural producer’s groups who farm in expanded urban area and introduce themselves to the customer to build connection between producers and consumer. Broadcasting agricultural production process to the student who have aware on safety food production in urban area as the way to create the new generation of farmers. Develop agricultural area to be an agritourism destination. Moreover, adjust their agricultural production from traditional to integrated farming and doing agricultural complete production can add more value to their products. Moreover, the researcher has created a model for smallholder farmers’ adaptation in agricultural production in expanded urban areas, Chiang Mai province which include economic factors, physical factors, social factors and supporting factors combine with the idea of smallholder farmers’ adaptation from this study can be use as a guideline for related organizations in appropriate agricultural extension.