ISSP [2022] : Building the Next Generation of Tomato Farmers in Northeastern Thailand

The Third Royal Factory of Doi Kham has invested in many knowledgeable projects to better develop the local farmers’ skills; however, the farmers’ application of the provided farming technology was not as expected. The goal of the project is to design an educational method for the farmers at The Third Royal Factory of Doi Kham, based on precision farming and a compromise between the farmers’ lifestyles and Doi Kham’s expectations to develop ‘smart farmers’. Through onsite observation, interview, research and data evaluation, four objectives are proposed: to understand the current ways of farming of the farmers under the contract of Doi Kham’s Third Royal Factory, to evaluate the farmers’ cooperation and relationship towards Doi Kham based on farmers’ way of living and traditions, to identify suitable practices for local farmers depending on Doi Kham’s farmer management and the advancement in their agricultural technology and to advocate farmers’ agricultural knowledge and skills as a guideline to develop Doi Kham’s smart farmers.

            After an investigation at The Third Royal Factory, the team discovered that the local farmers’ reliance mainly on past experiences and lack of active learner skills were the key factors to overcome. This resulted in the application of the suitable pH testing method for the farmers to easily follow and effectively optimize their farming expenses as the first step to becoming a new generation of smart farmers, along with the recommendations to Doi Kham on the emphasis on improving agricultural factors, the use of suitable measures of educational activities and future implementation plan.

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