Mr. Chaisak Wuttisak, Director of the Office of Agricultural Economics 12 Nakhon Sawan (OAE12), Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), revealed that mixed farming is a sustainable agricultural system. It is another option that farmers are interested in because in the area where they are farming, they can have many types of products for sale in the market, from vegetables and fruits to animal husbandry. This allows farmers to have more income. Most importantly, farmers must benefit the most and be able to sustainably rely on themselves. In a situation where the Thai agricultural sector is facing many challenges, mixed farming is a good option to generate income to lead to a stable livelihood for farmers.

From the model of the volunteer agricultural economy (VAE) of OAE12 who has been successful in mixed farming is Mr. Sansern Sawangbanphot, VAE, Khanuworalakburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province and Chairman of the Agricultural Productivity Improvement Learning Center (APICL), Khanuworalakburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province. He is also the manager of the large vegetable plot in Wang Ham Ha Subdistrict, Khanuworalakburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province. He is the chairman of the large-scale cassava plantation in Bo Tham Subdistrict, Khanu Woralaksaburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, and the chairman of the large-scale vegetable and herbal plant community enterprise of Nong Chang Ngam, which the Office of Agricultural Extension 12 visited and interviewed Mr. Sansern. He said that he used to do monoculture farming, but faced with the drought problem due to the lack of rain, which damaged the produce and did not have the desired quality and quantity. Therefore, he used chemical fertilizers, which deteriorated the soil, increased production costs, and reduced income. Therefore, he studied and attended various training courses, such as the techniques for being a leader in agricultural transformation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the development of farmers as plot managers from the Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Agricultural Office, which gave him skills in farming and changed to mixed farming since 2014, including applying technology to reduce farming costs. Currently,

Mr. Sansern’s mixed farming The area of ??45 rai is allocated, divided into 15 rai for cassava, 23 rai for fruit trees and vegetables, including mango, chili, eggplant, melon, pumpkin, okra and papaya, 1 rai for livestock, including laying hens and broiler chickens, 1 rai for a pond for raising carp, and the rest of the area for living quarters, a hydroponics greenhouse, a seedling nursery, a solar dryer, a CPHO building, and a self-sufficient economy learning center. Interesting agricultural activities that generate income are growing cassava, Huai Bong 80 variety, using a drip irrigation system, which reduces costs and increases cultivation efficiency. In the 2023/24 growing year, Mr. Sansern had an average production cost of 1,280 baht/rai/year, with a total yield of 75 tons/year and an average yield of 5,000 kilograms/rai/year. Average return 9,000 baht/rai/year, average net return (profit) 7,720 baht/rai/year, the price of fresh mixed cassava roots that farmers can sell in the area (price as of December 2024) averages 1.60 baht/kilogram, which farmers who bring fresh cassava roots to sell at the purchasing yard can choose to measure the percentage of starch or sell mixed. If calculated as income from all activities in mixed farming, Mr. Sansern will have an income of approximately 500,000 baht/year.

In addition to the success in mixed farming and cassava planting, currently, the Khanuworalakburi Agricultural Extension Center is also a source for learning and study visits on increasing cassava production efficiency. Mr. Sansern is a lecturer at the learning center. His duty is to transfer agricultural technology on increasing cassava production efficiency, household accounting and occupational costs, knowledge on mixed farming and a self-sufficient economy to farmers in the community. The learning center's activities include soil and fertilizer management, selection of good cassava varieties, cassava drip irrigation systems, and new cassava planting innovations. Planting alternative crops to replace cassava and planting Kluai Khai Kamphaeng Phet variety. There are government agencies, private sectors, including farmers both inside and outside the area interested in studying and observing approximately 800 people per year. If anyone is interested in information or would like to study and observe cassava planting, you can contact Mr. Sansern Sawangbanphot, location Wang Ham Hae Subdistrict, Khanu Woralaksaburi District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, call 08 7199 9589. We are happy to provide advice and welcome everyone.

Go To Lead