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โครงการหนังสืออิเล็กทรอนิกส์ด้านการเกษตร เฉลิมพระเกียรติพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว

Abstract

The study had the following objectives: first, to study the present conditions of rice combine
harvesting industry; second, to study the present conditions of rice custom hiring services; and, third, to
study the present regulations and measures affecting the operation of the rice combine harvesting
industry and the rice custom hiring services.

The study was conducted in the central part of Thailand between May, 2015 and April, 2016.
Secondary data were collected from various government offices and universities. Primary data were
collected from various target groups as follows: two big combine harvesting factories, seven small
combine harvesting factories, 31 custom hiring operators, 13 custom hiring brokers, one leasing company,
and four combine harvester exhibitions. Descriptive statistics were used in data analysis. Findings were
described with frequency, percentage, and average. Cross tabulation was used for data presentation.

The rice combine harvester factories can be divided into two groups, big and small. The big
factories are those formally registered as limited companies or corporations while the small factories are
the ones formally registered not as limited companies but sole proprietorships, or family operations.
“Garage” is a common name for the small factories. At present, there are five big companies and more
than 380 small companies. The majority of them are in the central region.

With regard to the combine harvester industry, domestic markets are the principal target,
especially in the central region. It was estimated that the country’s total demand is 23,000 harvesters
while only 13,000 -14,000 of them are actually available now. Therefore, there is a shortage of around
10,000 harvesters. At their full production capacity (i.e. of 2,200 harvesters a year, excluding the
production by Siam Kubota Co. Ltd.), all firms will be able to fill the gap in less than 10 years. Although
some are exported to other countries, the number is small when compared to domestic sales. Importing
countries are, for example, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mali, Ghana, and
Surinam. The export to Myanmar is the highest, followed by Cambodia.

All harvesters are developed by the firms themselves. Although similar, these harvesters do not
have the same standard. The “product innovation” is based on the method of C&D (i.e. Copy and
Development) while their investment in R&D is minimal. Tools and equipment used in the production are
simple. High precision tools and computer-aided programs are used by the big factories, including a few
small factories. All decisions on management—including marketing, financing, production, supply chain,
inventory, and personnel—are done mainly on the basis of the owners’ experiences. Academic principles
are rarely employed to help make decisions.

Markets of custom hiring services comprise two main regions, central and northeastern. The
custom hiring rate is 500 baht/rai in the central region and 600-700 baht/rai in the northeastern region. In
the central region, operators directly contact their customers, using mobile phones. On the other hand,
all arrangements are done through brokers in the northeastern region.

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