Learning Extension Model to Become Agricultural Entrepreneurs of Young Smart Farmers in Lower Northeastern Province Group 1

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to study 1) the learning conditions and the need for learning extension to become the agricultural entrepreneurs of young smart farmers, 2) the learning of young smart farmers who were model agricultural entrepreneurs, 3) there was the learning extension to young smart farmers to become the agricultural entrepreneurs of the agricultural extensionists, 4) factors that affected learning extension as the agricultural entrepreneurs of young smart farmers, 5) there was the creation and evaluation of a learning extension model to become the agricultural entrepreneurs of young smart farmers.   

This research was mixed methods research with 3 population groups: 1) the 1,800 young smart farmers in the lower northeastern region such as Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Surin, and Buriram provinces. The sample size was determined by Taro Yamane’s formula which had an error value of 0.05. The sample size was 327 people using the simple random sampling by lottery method; 2) A total of 8 young smart farmers (2 people from each province) were selected as the model agricultural entrepreneurs. The data were collected by in-depth interviews and analyzed by content analysis; 3) Agricultural extensionists who worked with young smart farmers in the lower northeastern provincial group 1. They consisted of the provincial agricultural extensionists. Representatives of 1 person per province, totaling 4 people were selected specifically; A total of 88 district agricultural extensionists were specifically selected as representatives from all districts of 4 provinces. Therefore, the total number of district and provincial agricultural extensionists was 92 people. Data were collected by questionnaires and analyzed by using descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and content analysis.

The results of this research found that 1) It was a high level of the received learning extension and the required learning extension of overall knowledge content. There was a need for a standard of quality of safe agricultural products, business management and agricultural product marketing, agricultural productivity, and production of standardized agricultural products at a high level. 2) Young smart farmers were the model agricultural entrepreneurs who had the learned important knowledge to be agricultural entrepreneurs. It consisted of accessing the fund sources, processing and asking permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agricultural innovations, and online marketing. 3) The learning extensional conditions of agricultural extensionists found that they mostly promoted the learning for young smart farmers to be agricultural entrepreneurs who could link learning to be consistent with work and apply the obtained knowledge in practice. They mostly promoted farming knowledge and used social media such as Line application. 4) Factors that affected learning extension to be the agricultural entrepreneurs as follows. Positive factors included experience in farming, participation of group members, the promotional requirement for the learning extensional process, and the promotional requirement for knowledge content. Negative factors included the promotional receiving in the preparation steps of learning extension and the steps of learning evaluation. 5) A learning extension model to be the agricultural entrepreneurs of young smart farmers in the lower northeastern provincial group 1 that was created. It consisted of 4 main components: (1) learning information sources were household members, members of the young smart farmer network, experts, and information technology, which promoted learners to group the professional learning communities; (2) knowledge content emphasized learning on the production of safe agricultural products, business management and agricultural product marketing, agricultural productivity, production of standardized agricultural products, accessing the fund sources, processing and asking permission from the FDA, agricultural innovations, and online marketing; (3) the learning extension process was self-directed learning that emphasized the young smart farmers being responsible for their learning and having independent learning; (4) the results of the extension on young smart farmers showed that they were agricultural entrepreneurs with knowledge and skills in the practices of agricultural production, farm business, and marketing. The evaluation result of opinions on the created model was found that the model had the highest benefit, suitability, and possibility.