Exploring Factors Underlying the Limited Adoption of Machinery for Sugarcane Harvesting in Northeastern Thailand

抄録

Sugarcane is one of Thailand’s major crops and export commodities subjected to regulatory law. However, despite its economic importance, only approximately 30% of farmers employ machine harvesting introduced by the government and mills. Hence, this study aims to understand why farmers do not use harvesting machines by clarifying sugarcane cultivation practices, shipping methods, and sugarcane harvesting costs and prices, focusing on Thailand’s major sugarcane production areas. The results reveal that 1) harvesting machines require sufficient space for rows and U-turns, thus farmers need to prepare before planting season. 2) harvesting machines increase production costs compared with non-machine methods, regardless of insignificant differences in the selling prices of sugarcane. Finally, 3) sugar mills predominantly collect sugarcane through the “Quota system” of contract farming, however, the fixed price provided by the system forces farmers to look for better shipping methods. The aforementioned factors might hinder small-scale farmers from using harvesting machines.