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โครงการหนังสออเล็กทรอนกสด้านการเกษตร เฉลมพระเกียรตพระบาทสมเด็จพระเจ้าอยู่หัว
Abstract

Although the agricultural sector plays an important role in Thailand’s socioeconomic
system, farmers are considered among the least-paid occupations in the country. One important

matter is that farmers have risk exposure to unforeseen events while there are only a few studies
that have been made. This study examines risks in agriculture from the standpoint of farmers

along with preparation to the exposure, adaptivity, difficulty, and factors that contribute to
adaptation and restoration. This study mainly focuses on mango and durian farmers because

the industries, both mango production in the northeastern region and durian production in the
eastern and southern region, were still being active during COVID-19. The method of data
collection used in this study ranged from key informant interviews, surveys on 180 agricultural

households, and collecting from peer-reviewed studies. We analyze the data using a simple
summary, statistical methods, and econometric tools.

Results show that farmers faced with multiple types of risk exposure have different
concerns. In summary, both mango and durian farmers have concerns over production risks,

especially those due to natural conditions (e.g., plant disease, unpredictable/extreme weather
conditions. Some subjects have concerns about market risk, including low and/or volatile prices,
and the lack of demand for mango farmers, and producing low-quality products for durian

farmers. In an attempt to minimize the risks, farmers usually make a special effort during the
fruiting period, often involving using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Some farmers practice

off-season farming or shift their priority toward exporting their goods to avoid price fluctuations.
When there is an unforeseen circumstance, farmers’ personal competency (e.g. education,

experience) and marketing factors (e.g. having more channels of distribution, exporting goods)
contribute to the recovery. Possible risks that appear to be undervalued by farmers are damage

caused by rising temperature, dumping, and monopoly.

This study suggests a change in certain government policies. Authorities should consider
1) reorganizing and developing agricultural crop insurance mechanism, 2) distributing more

subsidies for horticulture industries, 3) providing active training for farmers, 4) granting easy access
for communities to gain funding for agricultural infrastructure, 5) encouraging competitiveness of

local buyers, 6) creating an environment where channels of distributions can be expanded, and
7) promoting quality control of agricultural products.

Keywords: risk, preparedness, adaptation, shock, recovery

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