Guidelines for Competency Development of Longan Orchard Owners through Training in Khlong Hin Pun Subdistrict, Wang Nam Yen District, Sa Kaeo Province

Abstract

The objectives of this article were to: 1) study the competency levels in knowledge, skills, and management of longan orchard owners; 2) examine training factors correlated with competency development; and 3) propose guidelines for competency development suitable for the context of Sa Kaeo Province. The sample consisted of 162 longan orchard owners in Khlong Hin Pun Subdistrict, Wang Nam Yen District, Sa Kaeo Province, selected through purposive sampling. Questionnaires were utilized as the tool for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (percentage, mean , and standard deviation S.D.), t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient, supplemented by content analysis.

The research findings revealed that the overall competency level of the farmers was at a high level ( = 4.25). The dimension with the highest mean was Marketing and Sales ( = 4.30), followed by Smart Agricultural Technology ( = 4.27), while the lowest mean was in Orchard Management ( = 4.21). Hypothesis testing indicated that personal factors, including gender and age, did not result in a significant difference in overall competency levels at the .05 significance level. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that all five competency dimensions were positively correlated at the .01 statistical significance level. The strongest correlation was found between Smart Agricultural Technology and Marketing/Sales (r = .80), followed by Knowledge and Practical Skills (r = .72). The proposed development guidelines emphasize on-the-job training that integrates modern digital technology with local wisdom. Key focus areas include enhancing business management skills and product processing to create value-added products, driven through a mentor network system for community knowledge transfer.