การศึกษาระบบการผลิต และการดำรงชีพของครัวเรือนเกษตรกรชาวสวนยางพาราขนาดเล็ก ภายใต้ระบบการทำสวนยางพาราร่วมกับกิจกรรมทางการเกษตรอื่นในจังหวัดประจวบคีรีขันธ์ ชุมพร และสุราษฎร์ธานี

Abstract

This paper aimed to examine the production system and livelihood of rubber smallholder households under rubber production system along with other agricultural activities in Prachuab Khiri Khan, Chumphon, and Surat Thani. A sample group of 399 rubber farmers in those areas was involved. A structured interview was used for data collection. Frequency and percentage were used for data analysis. The results of this study for the major statuses of economy and society for the whole images of rubber farmer households in these 3 provinces indicated that farmers had an average age quite high at 52.52 years old, had quite a low education level and finished primary education for 52.80%, had the longest experience of working with rubber plantations at 23.56 years, and had an average of rubber plantation holding at 13.65 rai/household. For incomes from different cultivations, the study found that farmers earned averages income from the rubber monoculture, rubber-oil palm growing, rubber-fruit tree farm, rubber-rice farm, and rubber-livestock at 223,413 baht/year, 478,643.64 baht/year, 431,442 baht/year, 179,741 baht/year, 256,421 baht/year, respectively. For the production, the study found that farmers still used the old production technology for rubber and oil palm. Even the financial cost was quite high in term of livelihood, the study found that farmers still lacked adaptation for self-development and easily had vulnerability due to changing conditions of unstable weather and price fluctuation. Then for the linkage among statuses of economy, society, and "rubber production" with sustainable "livelihood of smallholding rubber farming" system along with oil palm growing under rubber production system along with other agricultural activities, the study indicated that economic factors such as price of production, cost of production factors, incomes, and saving had effects on financial cost level of households and vulnerability of the production system. Socials factors such as knowledge, educational level, and experiences had relations with social capital and "adaptation of rubber farmers".