Thesis Abstract of AGS Students

Factors affecting the development potentials of wheat production in northern Thailand

Supavadee Uttisen (1990)

This study aims to examine domestic wheat production system covering the survey on production system, production technology, marketing system and government policy on wheat promotion. The socio-economic conditions as well as the cropping systems of the wheat producers are investigated and factors influencing the adoption of wheat growing technology of farmers are analyzed. The study is presented in descriptive nature and supported with quantitative information for analysis.

The study result showed that the market demand of wheat as for flour was 0.17 million ton per year which was equivalent to the produce of 0.85 million rai. In addition, the demand of Baa Sae factory was the amount equivalent to the produce of 2,265 rai per annum. Therefore, wheat production programme to substitute the imported amount is possible in terms of market demand, however, its possibility was economically low. This could be explained that the wheat production cost within Thailand was somewhat higher than the imported price of wheat. While its imported price was only about 3.77 Baht per kg, the production cost for maximum yield of 313 kg per rai in paddy and of 180 kg per rai in upland went up to 7.15 and 7.50 Baht per kg respectively.

Presently, the planted area of wheat in the country was extended up to only 2,265 rai where it could supply to Baa Sae factory with the price of 7.00 Baht per kg only.

Comparing with the other competitive crops in the same season, it was found that the farms with maximum wheat yield gained lower net benefit than other crops, except soybean in paddy field. Moreover, return to labor of wheat production was less than the wage of off-farm activity in the same season.

The policy of wheat production extension aiming to produce 200 kg per rai which was relevant to the existing situation would be neither economically possible nor adopted by farmers. Moreover, the domestic consumption of wheat policy was not relevant to the farmer's target which was for commercial.

Back to Thesis Topics