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Abstract

This research studied the demand for fertilizer by rubber planters in Amphor Hat Yai, Songkhla province, particularly (1) the general economics and social conditions of the rubber planters, (2) production structure and production management at the rubber plant level, (3) marketing factors that influence the decisions about fertilizer usage, and (4) factors that influence the future trends of fertilizer usage. The research utilized both primary and secondary data. The primary data were specifically selected from 120 villages and Tambons in Hatyai by focusing on communities with a high percentage of rubber planters. The analysis was both descriptive and quantitative, using the Chi-Square method to analyze the factors that influenced the perceptions and fertilizer usage trends in the future. 75% of the planters and their spouses had graduated from primary schools, which might be seen as a primary constraint in applying new management techniques to their ways of life. Most of the planters had no extra jobs because the rubber price was very high at the time of the study compared to the price in 2002. However, half of the sampled planters had and average debt of 96,742 baht per family. Even though most of the debts were loans from formal financial institutions, most of the money had been spent on extravagant products. The planters have their own land for planting rubber, an average of 17.6 rai per family. The land used for rubber was on average 16.2 rai, 92% of the land. RRIM 600 was the main rubber plant, with some GT 1 RRIT 251 and PB 235. Most of the planters did not grow other plants in the rubber farm, therefore they lost the opportunity to earn extra income. Most planters did not grow covering plants to increase humidity in the plantation. Concerning fertilizers, most of the planters were still using only one type of chemical fertilizer for productivity improvement, but many of them had changed to an organic fertilizer. Most reported that they used fertilizer at the proper levels, but 44% of them had no idea how to use fertilizer correctly and 25% replied that they were not confident whether they understand how to use fertilizer or not. For the trend of organic and chemical fertilizer usage, most planters indicated that they will continue to use the fertilizer at the constant level, and 43% of the chemical fertilizer users said that they would change to use more organic fertilizers in the future. The planters harvest on average 2.2 kg of rubber per rai per day. Concerning the marketing factors that influence the decision about fertilizers, the analysis showed that the planters viewed quality of the fertilizer as a major concern. The planters received advice on fertilizer use from the vendors and government officers, and size of their plantation, experience of the planter, labor conditions, quantity of organic fertilizer used, yield, and form of the product sold impacted the fertilizer usage of the planters at the 0.05-0.01 statistical significance. The factors that influenced the trend of fertilizer usage in the future were the current situation of fertilizer usage, form of the product sold, price of fertilizer, advice from the vendor, the number of years in using organic fertilizer and the experience of the planters. The factors that influenced the trend and demand for chemical fertilizers were the current situation of the fertilizer usage, television advertisements, agricultural journals, newspapers and the highest level of the planters education at the 0.05-0.01 statistical significance.