Home / Regular Issue / JTAS Vol. 41 (3) Aug. 2018 / JTAS-3315-2018

 

Interlinkage between Agri-Production System and Livelihood in Songkhla Province, Thailand

Ornaong Luanrak, Buncha Somboonsuke and Prawat Wettayaprasit

Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, Volume 41, Issue 3, August 2018

Keywords: Agri-production system, rubber farming system, smallholders, sustainable rubber production management, livelihood

Published on: 30 Aug 2018

Due to rubber price fluctuations in Thailand, the rubber smallholders there have been forced to adjust their farming strategies to cope with the new economic, social conditions. The objective of this study is to analyse the livelihood system and factors influencing the sensitivity of livelihood system and show the relationship between the production management, and livelihood system in order to get the highest productivity and sustainable livelihoods of farmer households. The study area is Songkhla Province in Ratthaphum (Tha Cha Moung), Na Thawi (Klongsai) and Khuan Niang (Ratthaphum) districts selected using a purposive sampling method. Using a structured questionnaire interview, in-depth interview the key performance and focus group were used to collect data from 228 rubber farmer households. Sixty representative farms from three communities were selected evaluated based on their net farm income, comparing the farm type, again using a semi-structured interview and in-depth interviews. Key performance and focus group discussions were used to collect data, then analysed using content analysis, frequency, percentage, mean and multiple regression. The study found that the total income of monocrop system had the least. The highest was fruits (durian, mangosteen, rambutan, wollongong and banana). The livelihood of rubber smallholders practicing monocrop system reflected high economic capital but moderate social capital when compared to other rubber farming systems. Comparing all four rubber farming systems, integrated fruit estate offered the best interest for rubber smallholders.

ISSN 1511-3701

e-ISSN 2231-8542

Article ID

JTAS-3315-2018

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