Potato Production Management by Farmers Under Contract Farming in the Dry Season in Wang Yang District, Nakhon Phanom Province

Abstract

In this research investigation, the researchers examine 1) the information regarding the general societal characteristics and the potato production of farmers; investigate 2) the information regarding the cost of potato production and farmers’ income; and analyze 3) the financial returns from potato production under the contract farming production agreement. The research instrument was a questionnaire collecting data from the total population of fifty-three potato plot groups in Yot Chat subdistrict, Wang Yan district, Nakhon Phanom province. The statistics used in data analysis consisted of frequency, percentage, and mean. The analysis was conducted on the use of the factors of production and the return on investment (ROI).

          Findings show that the highest proportion of farmers were males (64.15 percent) with an average age of 49.96 years, an average potato growing experience of 8.23 years, an average potato planting area of 4.29 rai, an average yield of 3,189.62 kilograms per rai. The average production cost was 19,530.16 baht per rai, which was part of the cost procured by the company (61.50 percent) and part of the cost procured by farmers (38.50 percent). Mostly, the cost was for chemical fertilizers (25.60 percent) and seed heads (23.27 percent). The average quantity of seed heads used was 181.17 kilograms per rai. The insurance purchase price was at 11-12 baht per kilogram. The average net income was 14,933.27 baht per rai. The return on investment (ROI) was 76.66 percent and the net profit margin (NPM) was 43.33 percent.