Production and Marketing of Groundnuts in Southern Thailand 1986/87 Crop Year

Abstract

This study aims to acquire knowledge on production situation and technologies employed, the potentials and constraints in production and marketion of groundnuts so as to lay a foundation for research and development of groundnuts in the South. Data were collected from producers and middlemen by face to face interview with the help of structured and nonstructured questionnaires in selected Amphoes of Chumphon, Surat Thani Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla province. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select 238 growers. Sixteen middlemen, including the exporters in Narathiwat province were selected for the interview by purposive sampling. Findings are as follows : In the study area, a groundnut grower allocated an average area of 2.26 rai/household and the average production 242 kg. per rai in the study area was higher than the average of the south. About 92.3% of the product was marketed, while 5.3% was used for home consumption and 2.4% for seed. Tha farm price of dried unshelled groundnut was about 6.38 baht/kg and grower could benefit 2.18 baht/kg. Green groundnut was sold at 3.20 baht/kg and grower could benefit 0.47 baht/kg. The main groundnut markets in Southern Thailand were 1) Hua-it Agricultural Central market, at Amphone Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. 2) Phatthalung market, Phatthalung province 3) Hat Yai market, Songkhla province. 4) Su-ngikolok market, Narathiwat Province. Southern region produced only 9,301 tons of groundnut or 39% of regional demand (23,987 tons/year) and 61% of groundnut required by the region was imported from other groundnut growing areas of the country. Given on the present farming system, water supply, seed supply, transportation, and marketing system found that the potential area for groundnut development should be the area of paddy land along the high way from Amphoe Rattaphum Songkhla province to Amphoe Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat. For further groundnut research, it is necessary to conduct research relating to technology for groundnut production appropriate in the area mentioned above, the quality improvement should be strongly emphasized.