Adaptation of rice farmers to aging in Thailand

Abstract

Abstract As one of the fastest-aging countries globally, Thailand faces unique challenges in its agricultural landscape due to the accelerated aging of its farming population. As rice is the most important crop, it is essential to understand the perceptions of farmers regarding the effects of aging on rice farming and how they adapt to aging. This research examined the adjustments that rice farmers had made in their practices over the past 5 years to cope with this demographic shift. The study utilized survey data collected from 300 rice farmers across two prominent rice-producing provinces in Thailand. The findings revealed that 32% of the surveyed rice farmers had adapted to the challenges posed by aging. The top two adaptive strategies allowed descendants to be more involved in rice farming activities and utilization of labor-saving machinery. To analyze the factors influencing the decision to adapt to aging, a binary probit model was employed. The results indicated that several factors played a positive and significant role in the rice farmers’ decisions. These included the farmer’s age, the size of agricultural land, access to irrigation, land ownership, the farmer’s perception of the impact of aging on rice farming, willingness to learn to use and embrace innovative technology for planting and harvesting, and a reduced number of farming activities performed through custom hiring services. Among these factors, irrigation, land ownership, and the farmer’s perception of the aging impact were found to have a strong influence on the farmer’s adaptation.