Increasing the number of new farmers in future generations is one factor that will determine the success of Thailand’s agricultural sector, so it is a challenge and an opportunity. The increase reflects the fact that Thailand has continually upgraded production efficiency in the agricultural sector. The results of the agricultural census by the National Statistical Office shows that Thai farmers in 2013 had higher education levels than in 2003, with the percentage of farmers completing secondary education increasing from 9% to 16% in 2013, and when it comes to vocational/ high vocational certificates and bachelor's degrees, the proportion also increased from 1.6 percent to 2.8 percent, and in higher education, it rose from 1.2 percent to 2.7 percent.
At present, Thailand has 1 million out of 12 million farmers classified as “smart farmers,” of which about 15,000 are young smart farmers (Department of Agricultural Extension, 2020). Moreover, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of knowledgeable people returned home, and some have entered agriculture.
New-generation farmers or knowledgeable people are considered a group with the ability to learn about and use technology to develop and improve production efficiency in the long run. This is an important mechanism for creating, developing, and distributing technology to farmers over a wide range, which will lead to higher levels of efficiency in agriculture.
Source : National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)
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