Abstract
For the past decade, Thailand pursued a strategy of promoting biofuel crop production, including sugarcane, to meet the ever increasing energy demand and to increase the income of farmers. This study analyzed the influence of policy instruments implemented to promote the sugarcane cultivation, farm household socioeconomic levels, biophysical, and institutional factors driving the conversion of rice fields into sugarcane farms. Primary information was collected from 230 farm households through a structured questionnaire. Relevant policy documents published by the responsible government agencies were the main sources of secondary information collected for policy analysis. The analyses revealed that farmers in the study area converted 25–75% of their rice fields into sugarcane farms as a result of implementation of policy instruments that made sugarcane financially far more attractive than rice. The results of the regression analysis showed that eight variables were found significant and positively influenced the conversion of rice fields into sugarcane farms. These were access to extension services, information, sugarcane loading stations, and ground water for irrigation, and duration of experience in sugarcane farming as well as household head’s age and education. Irrespective of landholding size, the majority of farmers were not concerned about food security. In view of the finding, if feasible, in the form of additional price supports and commercial cane sugar index-based pricing strategies to promote sugarcane production should benefit all concerned farmers. Likewise, attention should be paid to deliver essential extension and marketing services in an effective way, particularly to those farmers who are not receiving such services.
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Acknowledgements
The first author gratefully acknowledges the scholarship provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for her PhD studies at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) of Thailand that made possible to carry out this study. The authors sincerely appreciate the assistance of farmers in the study area who kindly provided needed information despite their very busy work schedule. Finally, the authors would like to extend sincere thanks to three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the earlier draft of the manuscript.
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Lakapunrat, N., Thapa, G.B. Policies, Socioeconomic, Institutional and Biophysical Factors Influencing the Change from Rice to Sugarcane in Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Thailand. Environmental Management 59, 924–938 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0843-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0843-2