Extension of the Farmers’ Cassava Stalks Production in Khao Thong Subdistrict, Phayuha Khiri District Nakhon Sawan Province

Abstract

          The purposes of this research were to study (1) social and economic conditions, (2) the conditions of cassava stalks production, (3) extension needs of Production Cassava Stalks, and (4) problems and suggestions of cassava stalks production.
          The population consisted of 220 cassava stalks farmers in Khao Thong Subdistrict, Phayuha Khiri District, Nakhon Sawan Province who registered with the Department of Agricultural Extension in the production year of 2020/2021. The 142-sample size was based on Taro Yamane formula with the error value of 0.05. Structured interviews were used for data collection. Statistics used were frequency, percentage, mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation and ranking.
          The research findings were as follows: (1) Most of the farmers were male, graduated from primary school. The average holding area was 21.74 rai. The average of agricultural was 2.44 workers. The average experience of farming was 4.90 years. The average income of household was 264,223.94 baht per year, 44.4% attended the training to transfer knowledge on cassava stalks production from the District Extension Agricultural Office. (2) Farmers produced cassava stalks for their own use cassava (Khakdam). The average of surveyed farms was 29.37 per year,  use the chemical at the rate recommended on the label. (3) Farmers had the highest demand (4.38) of extension needs for cassava stalks production in marketing with product price assurance and need knowledge (4.54) with the production of cassava stalks (3.95). And(4) problems in extension of cassava stalks production knowledge (3.69), found that farmers lacked knowledge about the cassava stalks production (3.73) and correct use of pesticides (3.71) on the marketing side (3.76)  found that there was no guarantee of the price of the product(3.80), no definite source for purchasing products (3.66). Recommendations should be Agricultural extension officers provide knowledge about cassava stalks production on diseases and pests of cassava including the correct use of chemical pesticides and pesticides.