Socio-economic Status of Farmer Members of The Agricultural Cooperatives, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and Individual Farmers

Abstract

The socio-economic status and some aspects of social change of three farmer groups : the agricultural cooperative farmer members; the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives farmer members (BAAC) and the individual farmers in Amphoe Rattaphum, Songkhla have been compared. Significant differences were observed in socio-economic status, extension contact and the use of improved farm practices. The BAAC's farmer members, cooperative farmer members and individual farmers were ranked first, second and third repectively for the above mentioned. In correlation analysis, the highest level of formal education, literacy, living atandard, material possessions, mass media exposure, use of credit and farm produce sales were positivelt correlated with the socio-economic status of these three farmer groups. With regard to regression analysis, 89.60 percent of the variation in socio-economic status can be accounted for , by the combined effect of 11 variables.