Assessment of the ALRO-Farmer Field School Program in Northern Thailand : impact on farm management, rice productivity and farm income | |
| Author | Chiranan Senanuch |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.NR-15-03 |
| Subject(s) | Rice farmers--Thailand, Northern Farm income--Thailand, Northern Rice--Thailand, Northern Farm management--Thailand, Northern |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. NR-15-03 |
| Abstract | The research focused on the evaluation of extension services implemented in the land reform area ofThailand. The main objective of the research was to assessthe Farmers Field School delivered by Agricultural Land Reform Office(ALRO-FFS)in the North of Thailand. The ALRO-FFS was atraining program on rice seed production and cropseed conservation. The motivation of making farmers to participate in a training program wasstudied. Knowledge acquired from the ALRO-FFS and degrees of its adoption were assessed. Subsequently,changes in farm management due to the knowledge adoption were assessed. The evidence of the study wasprovided to implementation actors to improve the next extension program being more respond to the needs of farmers.The research was conducted in the Nan and Phrae provinces whereALRO-FFS program was implemented. The observed population was small farmers who participated in the ALRO-FFS farmers as well as non-participantsbased on land holding size and rice cultivation. The questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data from total 78 sampled respondents. The Community Self-Assessment (CSA) was a tool to reveallocal information onthesocial, environment and economic context. Other qualitative methods were observation ofALRO-FFS sessions, farmers’ field observation, and key informant interviews.Main findings of this research were that farmers have a strong economic incentive to participate in theprogram. In addition, the overlapping timeline of ALRO-FFS training period and farm activities was one oftheimportant constraints for farmers’ participation. Personal knowledge of agriculture also influenced their decision making in ALRO-FFS. Farmers easily adopted knowledge and practices from the ALRO-FFS, which was resulted inhigh adoptionrates. Rice productionmethods improvedin terms of improvingrice grain quality into seed. The additional practices that farmers conductto produce rice seed are land selection, multipleploughing, planting technique, off-type elimination and post-harvesting management. Farmers acquired high level of knowledge on rice farm ecosystem, diseasediagnostic and management. Non-chemical fertilizers extracted from local microorganism were applied among FFS farmsat higher levelthan Non-FFS farms. Although the input cost didnot significantly differ, FFS farmersallocated rice grain for selling as seed at 26 percentof the total yield, which could help increase household income by 30 percent. Moreover,it was found that the number of rice varieties on farms in the area increasefrom 2 to 6 varieties. The number of local varieties planted can be used as indicator of rice diversity and food security.There were four main recommendations derived from the research results. Thedissemination of information on thetraining program should be wider. There were some farmerswilling to participate in the ALRO-FFS program but they did not knowabout the existingtraining program. The implementation of the training program should be supported and continuously followed by ALRO staff. The content of ALRO-FFS may be improved by adjusting it to thelocal environment where possible. |
| Year | 2015 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. NR-15-03 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Natural Resources Management (NRM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Grunbuhel, Clemens; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Soni, Peeyush;Thapa, Gopal B.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand;Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2015 |