ปัจจัยที่มีอิทธิพลต่อการตัดสินใจเลือกใช้ปุ๋ยเคมีของเกษตรกรชาวสวนยางพารา ในอำเภอเทพา จังหวัดสงขลา

Abstract

The study aimed to examine (1) the social and economic feature of the rubber farmers applying chemical fertilizers, (2) the production condition and behavior on chemical fertilizer application of the rubber farmers, (3) marketing factors affecting the chemical fertilizer purchasing of the rubber farmers, (4) the correlations among social, economic factors and the production condition of rubber with chemical fertilizer application of the rubber farmers, and (5) problems and threats on chemical fertilizer application of the rubber farmers in Thepha District, Songkhla Province. The secondary data was compiled from various sources; in addition, the primary data was collected from the accidental sampling. The interviews via structure questionnaires were applied with 120 rubber farmers. The data analysis was conducted by the descriptive statistics; meanwhile, the quantitative analysis was analyzed by Chi-square statistics. The results revealed as follows. The rubber farmers, 84.2%, own rubber plantations and they are male, 62.5%. The rubber farmers are 48.3 years old on average. They are Buddhists, 83.3% and Muslims, 16.7%. The respondents are primary level educated in a maximum, 29.2%, and married, 89.2%. The average household members are 4.7 people and they are members of the agricultural organizations, 75.0%. The respondents, 89.2%, work as rubber farmers as their main career, and 40.0% of them implement the supplementary career as livestock farmers. Total household incomes are 26,675 baht/month while the expenditures are 29,218.33 baht/month on average. The debts, 65.0%, or 380,717.95 baht/household. The rubber farmers are financed by Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, 43.6%. The loan objective is defined as household expenditures, 46.2%. The rubber farmers themselves own 1.6 plots of land on average. The average rubber plantations are 19.2 rais. The tapped rubber trees are 16.7 rais. The rubber farmers hold land ownership, 99.2%. The geographical condition is low plain, 82.5%. RRIM 600 varieties are planted, 92.5%. The rubber trees are 15.0 years old on average. The rubber farmers have experienced in rubber plantations for 12.21 years on average. The output distribution is conducted in form of field latex, 88.3% and rubber cup lump, 11.7% only. The average outputs are 284.51 kilograms/rai/year. The rubber farmers did not have soil analyzed before fertilizer application, 75.0%; however, the weeds are eliminated before fertilizer application, 90.8%. The chemical fertilizer is applied together with organic fertilizer, 55.8%. Only chemical fertilizer is applied, 44.2%. The rubber farmers implement fertilizer application once a year, 64.2%. They have never been trained on fertilizer application, 80.8%. The rubber farmers purchase chemical fertilizer via the agents, 35.0%. The average purchasing expenditures on chemical fertilizer are 18,300.42 baht/year. The marketing factors affecting the rubber farmers' decision on chemical fertilizer at high level are described as the responses/results derived from fertilizer application enhancing yield increment, output price, selling shops near residences, advertisement via mobile unit, radio broadcasting system, agricultural magazines and recommendations by the household members. The analysis results of the correlations among social, economic factors and production condition of the rubber farmers with chemical fertilizer application. The results revealed as details. Total household incomes affect the quantity of chemical fertilizer application with statistical significance at α = 0.05. The numbers of household members assisting in rubber plantations influence the frequency of chemical fertilizer application with statistical significant at α=0.01. Total household incomes affect the frequency of chemical fertilizer with statistical significance at α = 0.05. Problems and threats on chemical fertilizer application of the rubber farmers are described as details. The chemical fertilizer is contaminated, 51.7%, and expensive, 87.5%. The sales promotion such as discount, exchange, free giving and extra giving are not implemented, 62.5%. The fertilizer training provided by the government is not available, 70.0%. Finally, the output price slump, 89.2%