Author: Maria Teresa Deraja Reginio
AIT Library Call Number: AIT RSPR no. HS-91-06
Year: 1991
Academic Program: Human Settlement (HS)
Type: Research Studies Project Report (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 1991
Examination Committee: Harvey Demaine (Chairperson); Hans Detlef Kammeier, Jayant Kumar Routray (Examination Committee Members)
Abstract: The marketing channel of agricultural commodities in Thailand involves a varying number of middlemen. Middlemen are believed to be exploiting the farmers who have no access to any alternative marketing channel by taking excessive profits. This situation was examined in the case of farmers in the Sablanka Forest Village and middlemen from Tambons Lamnarai, Nong Ree and Kudtapet in Changwat Lopburi, Thailand. The functions of the middlemen in the study area are not limited to the procurement of crops . They also contribute to production in the form of credit. Such loan is made on mutual trust in which repayments are usually in kind, i.e. , the repayment is made when crops are sold. The farmer then is obligated to sell portions or all of his production to the middlemen. Findings of the study revealed that middlemen provide a fair and efficient marketing service to the farmers. Their operations in the study area are found to be highly competitive and characterized by a relatively low margin of return. Recommendations , in this respect, are put forward to increase the efficiency in the agricultural marketing sphere in the study area which include , among others, the development of a proper marketing information system, conduct of farmers’ workshops and a study on the establishment of farm- level storage houses.
Scholarship Donor(s): Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Government of Germany
Note: A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Engineering and Technology
Advisory: Full-text is available at https://library.ait.ac.th/ (accessible to local ip address only)
