Knowledge, Opinions and Participation to Performance of Farm Women Group Changwat Lopburi.

Abstract

The objectives of this study was to investigate some basic socio-economic aspects of Farm Women Group members, their knowledge, opinions and participation in various activities of Lopburi Farm Women Group. The sample groups consisted of 1,951 members of the 1993 Lopburi Farm Women Group. A group of 95 members was selected by ballot casting to be the sample. The data were obtained through interview and analyzed by using statistical methods, percentage and arithmetic means. The results were summarized below. For the socio-economic aspects, the members of Lopburi Farm Women Group was 42.88 years in average, mostly married, and completed grade of education. Each family consisted 4.58 members with 1 to 8 man of farm labour, using and average of 34 to 80 rai of farmland. Their main occupation was agriculture. They could earn an average of 59,307.34 baht per family per year and additional 4,020.34 baht per family per year from supplementary occupation; and spent 43,722.96 baht per family per year. They often obtained agricultural information from television and radio and some from newspaper, They were trained and given agricultural information by the government officers. Husband and wife helped each other in raising children. Any sick members would be treated at hospitals or health stations. The Farm Women Group members wanted to organize themselves for certain activities to gain knowledge in agriculture or home economics affairs in order to make use of their leisure time especially to generate more income for family. Group organization enabled them to work together for their own and subgroup benefits as well as for the community they belong to. Those activities included technical demonstration, community development or public services which gradually improved the quality or life and family thus led to the prosperity of the localities, community and country as a whole. The problem as observed was the availability of their time for group activities. They had less problems concerning capabilities of group committee. They did not have any problem in knowledge and skills in home economic affairs, or satisfaction and unity of the group. Therefore, it could be said that the knowledge, opinion and participation of the members were not obstacles to the group operation.