Development of success indicators for community rice centers in Lower Northern Thailand

Abstract

The main objectives of this research were to develop Community Rice Center success indicators, assess the success level of Community Rice Centers, and analyze factors affecting the success of Community Rice Centers in the lower northern part of Thailand, which includes the provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Kamphaeng Phet, Phitsanulok, and Phichit. This was accomplished by using mixed methods and studying the award-winning Community Rice Center in the Community Rice Center contest during 2018–2019, one in each province, for a total of four centers, using qualitative research, including holding a group discussion, utilizing semi-structured interviews to conduct content analysis in order to link theoretical concepts and other relevant research, and preparing interview forms for quantitative research. The researcher determined the sample size using Taro Yamane's formula, with a tolerance of 0.05, from 408 Community Rice Centers. This yielded the sample size, specifically, 202 Community Rice Centers and a committee of six members per center, for a total of 1,212 individuals. There were two levels of data collection: the individual level and the group level. Using an interview form with a reliability of 0.99, collect general information, knowledge, and understanding of rice seed production, as well as the committee's opinion of the Community Rice Center. Group-Level Data Collection (center) from the Community Rice Center committee of 202 centers on general information about the Community Rice Center, success indicators for the Community Rice Center, and the success of the Community Rice Center. Employing an interview form with a 0.99 reliability, the results indicated that the average age of the Community Rice Center was 14.93 years, the average number of members was 26.92, the average number of rice seed producers was 14.34, the average rice seed production area was 276.93 Rai, and 75.70 percent of seed distribution sources were located in the most communities. Their opinions on the seven indicators of success of the Community Rice Center were moderate, as were their opinions on the center's overall success. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) analysis of indicators of success of community rice centers can be used to develop the following six indicators of success of Community Rice Centers:1) Quality seed production and management: five key indicators and forty sub-elements, 2) Satisfaction with the operation of the Community Rice Center: three indicator components, 3) Group management: five indicator components, 4) Fund management: five indicator components, 5) Transparency: one indicator component; and 6) Benefit distribution: two indicator components. The evaluation of the level of success found that most Community Rice Centers had a moderate level of success, at 53.50 percent, as determined by an analysis of the factors influencing the success of the Community Rice Center. Through Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis, it was determined that the success of the Community Rice Center was influenced by the following five factors: 1) Seed plot preparation and production, 2) Seed distribution, 3) Management, 4) Financial management, 5) Personnel management and at the 0.01 level, it was statistically significant. The main obstacles to the Community Rice Center were members' lack of understanding of the center's operation, lack of equipment for seed production, and lack of a market to buy certain rice seeds, resulting in farmers' lack of confidence in rice seed production. Therefore, relevant agencies should focus on understanding the purpose of establishing a Community Rice Center, as well as supporting knowledge, seed production materials, building and connecting a network of Community Rice Centers and seed markets, and disseminating the results of successful Community Rice Centers in order to encourage farmers with confidence in sustainable rice seed production. Key words: Indicators, Success, Community Rice Center and Rice Seeds