Pattern of income and spending, Household Rice Farmers in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand

Abstract

Rice is one of the main foods and sources of nutrition for Thai citizens and much of the world’s population. As globalization influences economics and household rice farmers, this research aims to (1) compare self-adjustment for production processes and for living between rice farmers whose income is less than or equal to the average and the ones whose income is greater than or equal to the average, (2) compare self-adaptation to reduce expenses between farmers whose income is less than or equal to the average and the ones whose income is greater than or equal to the average, and (3) study effective factors on spending pattern of household rice farmers for making a living. The sample size was determined using the method of Krejcie and Morgan with simple random sampling. The study was conducted for one year and looked at a population of 384 of rice farmers. The research tool was questionnaires. Collected data was analyzed using frequency, percentage of income and expense, and a t-test. The comparative results of effective factors to change the spending pattern of household rice farmers for making a living were analyzed using the Tobit model. The findings were that (1) self-adjustment of farmers by cultivating industrial crops showed a statistical significance of 0.05. Farmers whose income is greater or equal to the average were better self-adjusted than those whose income is less than or equal to the average. Self-adaptation for making a living with supporting money from a descendant was 0.01 of statistical significance, (2) self-adaptation for reducing expense by looking for food from natural resources had a statistical significance of 0.01 with farmers whose income is less than or equal to the average better self-adjusted than the ones whose income are greater than or equal to the average, and (3) effective factors on spending patterns of household rice farmers were dependent on the gender of the household head. That is, if the household head is a man, its income and spending pattern will be reduced. When household rice farmers can make more money, their income and spending pattern will be less with statistical significance 0.05.