On-Farm Diagnosis on the Intensification of Vegetable Cropping System for Exports to Improve the Sustainability of Small-Scale Farming Systems in Kamphaengsaen Area

Abstract

Following one year global regional diagnosis based on theory of “evolution and differentiation of agrarian systems”, Development-Oriented Research on Agrarian System (DORAS) Project had defined labor intensive vegetable cropping system as a possible solution to improve sustainability of indebted small Agricultural Production Systems (APS) in Thung Kwang area, Kamphaengsaen district of Nakhon Pathom Province. Thanks to favourable circumstances concerning regional physical and socio-economical environment, green asparagus production has been successfully introduced in local cropping system in 1989. But implementation of such a project implies an action at different scales : monitoring of a farmer professional organization at regional level, study of the consequences of vegetable of export introduction at the APS level and establishment of technical references to advice the local producers at the plot level. This approach has increased long term sustainability of the target farmers by improving their economical results an labor force management without affecting the regional dominating sugarcane production. Producer group plays also a key role in small producers marketing power increase by porviding them with adapted technical, commercial and financial assistance. Finally, the wide economical impact on regional agrarian system should not hide some remaining problems such as long term effect of vegetable intensive production on ecological sustainability. Research/Development efforts are still to be contined.