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The Impact of Maejo Institute of Agricultural Technology Social Laboratory Among Farmers in Four Vilalges in Chiangmai, Thailand
Thesis Abstract:
The study surveyed 200 household head farmers in four villages covered by the Maejo Institute of Agricultural Technology (MIAT) Social Laboratory in Chiangmai, Thailand. The study aimed to describe socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers and to determine their level of socioeconomic changes, identify the problems encountered in the Social Laboratory, and ascertain the relationship of the Social Laboratory exposure level to the level of socioeconomic variables.
An interview schedule in Thai language was used to gather data. Frequency counts, percentages, ranges, means, and rating were used to determine the farmer-respondents' socioeconomic characteristics. Chi-squared test, student's t-test, and Siegel's sign test were used to evaluate the reliability of indices, determine the changes and relationships, and compare the differences, respectively.
The average age of the farmer-respondents was 43 years and 93.5 percent of them were males. Two percent had attended the secondary school level and 34.5 percent had no schooling at all. The average duration of their residency in their present villages and average years in farming were 21 and 18 years, respectively. Eighty-eight percent of the families were nuclear type, with an average of three children and five people per household. The minimum and maximum costs of their dwelling were 300 baht and 100,000 baht, respectively, with an average of 15,752 baht. The average size of the land they owned was 7 rais. Their average annual net farm income was 12,930 baht.
There were changes in the levels of their adoption of agricultural practices, family living practices, and community participation after the implementation of the Social Laboratory project. However, there were no changes in the levels of their net income, family assets, family expenditure, and aspirations.
Farmer respondents' exposure level to the Social Laboratory at the time of the survey was related to the levels of their adoption of agricultural practices, family living practices, community participation, and family assets. On the other hand, the exposure level was not related to the levels of net farm income, family expenditure, aspiration, and attitude toward the Social Laboratory.
The problems regarding the MIAT Social Laboratory include unavailability of technicians to consult at the proper time, unavailability and untimely procurement of better crop variety seeds and animal stocks, high cost of materials for farming, and uncertain schedule of Social Laboratory technician which made people lose interest in joining the Social Laboratory program. However, the rating mean of the problems cited was "less serious."