การจัดการการผลิตหอมหัวใหญ่ของเกษตรกร ในอำเภอฝาง จังหวัดเชียงใหม่

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to 1) study farmers' onion production management in Fang district, Chiang Mai province, and 2) analyze factors relating to this management, problems, needs and suggestions regarding production management. A structured interview was used to collect data from a sample group of 188 farmers who were members of the Fang District Onion Growers Cooperative (FOC) between February and May 2022. Descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, maximum- minimum, and standard deviation. Multiple regression analysis was also performed to identify factors influencing the farmers’ onion production management in Fang District, Chiang Mai Province. The results reveal that most farmers were male, with an average age of 53.09 years, and finished primary school. On average, they had 19.96 years of onion cultivation experience, and an income of 99,930.85 baht/ years from onion. The farmers had an average of 5.36 rai of planting areas, and most of them used their funds and loan for opinion production. Approximately half of the farmers had only one distribution channel. They also had about two sources of agricultural information on average. In 2021, the farmers attended virtually no training and made almost no contact with relevant officers for assistance with onion production. Regarding onion production management, it was found that the farmers were at a moderate management level (X ̅ = 1.97). From an analysis of factors affecting onion production management, knowledge of onion production management and onion planting areas were found to be positively significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). A main problem faced by the farmers in producing onion was marketing, especially low price. This was because the price was highly fluctuated, thus, the farmers could not timely adjust themselves and marketing plans. In addition, there were only few middlemen to buy onions. As such, they could lower the price. An onion production problem caused by climate variability led to diseases and consequently onions with low quality and quantity. As production costs for onions increased, the farmers had to make more loans to invest in onion production. When onion price decreased, the farmers experienced the loss and needed to make even more loans. To support onion farmers, relevant public agencies should continually provide knowledge about onion production, both production planning and marketing, to the farmers. They should also dispatch officers to visit the farmers regularly, so that the farmers could ask for information on onion production. FOC should gather onions, and act as an intermediary between the farmers and middlemen. This action would increase the farmers’ negotiation power. In addition, FOC and relevant public agencies should provide production inputs, and training on their efficient use to farmers. For policy recommendations, the government should intensify the prevention and suppression of illegal onion imports. Relevant public agencies such as Department of Agriculture should also conduct research on onion breeding for climate change resistance, so that the farmers could produce onion with quality, and also reduce onion damages.