Pomelo Production and Market Pattern of the Pomelo Quality Development Group, Samut Songkram Province,Thailand

摘要

Pomelo is high potential crop to increase income and alleviate poverty for Thai farmers;especially, inSamut Songkram Province which faces the climate change problem. The higher temperature effects locallychee orchard has no yield; therefore, farmer likely changes lychee area to pomelo area increasingly.This research aimed to explore production and market pattern of pomelo farmer namely “Pomelo QualityDevelopment Group, Samut Songkram Province”. The quantitative and qualitative research methods wereused in this research. Research questionnaire data were collected from all of the group members. Thefindings revealed that all farmers planted in raised beds pattern with average spacing 5.02 X 5.83 meters,planted pomelo variety namely Khoa Yai with average pomelo farm size 7.15 rais (1.15 hectares). Themajority (85.37 % ) planted pomelo as the main crop, propagated by themselves (90.24% ), watered byspringer (53.66% ). They applied fertilizer and integrated pest management following the Good AgriculturalPractice (GAP) recommendation. The cost of pomelo production was 12,496.97 baht / rai. In the year 2554,they got an average yield 1,020.63 kg. / rai, an averaged farm price was 22.30 baht / kg., therefore, theaverage income was 22,760.03 baht / rai, and the net production return was 10,263.06 baht / rai. In termsof market pattern, this farmer group divided to 2 channels which were foreign market, China exportingapproximately 30% and domestic market approximately 70% .Moreover, this research developed theparticipatory website for the farmer group in order to promote trade opportunity and public relation. Theaudience satisfaction towards the website was high level ( = 3.56)