Articles
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF PAPAYA IN SURAT THANI, THAILAND: PRESENT PRACTICE AND ITS OPPORTUNITY
Article number
1022_22
Pages
175 – 180
Language
English
Abstract
Surat Thani, having the largest rubber plantation, is one of the potential planting areas for papaya.
Intercropping papaya with rubber for three years has been receiving increasing attention.
This is because papaya can avoid the ring spot disease, similar to shifting cultivation.
This paper aims to present the current practices on producing and marketing of papaya in Surat Thani, which includes cultivar, production practice, production costs and returns, market channel and marketing practices as well as its future needs.
Data were collected from 50 farmers and the related middlemen using questionnaires.
The data were analyzed using descriptive and cost-return analyses.
The results showed that most farmers have grown papaya as an intercrop with rubber with the average planting area and average number of trees per area of 0.64 ha and 518 trees/ha, respectively.
The popular papaya cultivar planted was Khaek Dam because of high market demand and ease of cultivation.
Most papayas were mainly grown from the self-collected seeds, resulting in fruit mutation.
However, the marketing chains of papaya were not complicated because they were mainly sold in the fresh form, especially in the ripe form, to the middlemen.
The papaya market prices fluctuate depending on demand and fruit quality.
The papaya obtained higher price if they were ripe and graded.
The raw papaya price was about US$ 8.58/kg, whereas the ripe one was at US$ 12.32/kg.
Average yield of papaya was 30,562 kg/ha/year, providing revenue of US$ 2,840-4,079/ha/year.
The production cost was US$ 3.93/kg and the estimated net profit of growing papaya as the intercrop with rubber was US$ 1,649-2,823/ha.
Intercropping papaya with rubber for three years has been receiving increasing attention.
This is because papaya can avoid the ring spot disease, similar to shifting cultivation.
This paper aims to present the current practices on producing and marketing of papaya in Surat Thani, which includes cultivar, production practice, production costs and returns, market channel and marketing practices as well as its future needs.
Data were collected from 50 farmers and the related middlemen using questionnaires.
The data were analyzed using descriptive and cost-return analyses.
The results showed that most farmers have grown papaya as an intercrop with rubber with the average planting area and average number of trees per area of 0.64 ha and 518 trees/ha, respectively.
The popular papaya cultivar planted was Khaek Dam because of high market demand and ease of cultivation.
Most papayas were mainly grown from the self-collected seeds, resulting in fruit mutation.
However, the marketing chains of papaya were not complicated because they were mainly sold in the fresh form, especially in the ripe form, to the middlemen.
The papaya market prices fluctuate depending on demand and fruit quality.
The papaya obtained higher price if they were ripe and graded.
The raw papaya price was about US$ 8.58/kg, whereas the ripe one was at US$ 12.32/kg.
Average yield of papaya was 30,562 kg/ha/year, providing revenue of US$ 2,840-4,079/ha/year.
The production cost was US$ 3.93/kg and the estimated net profit of growing papaya as the intercrop with rubber was US$ 1,649-2,823/ha.
Publication
Authors
S. Choengthong, S. Choengthong
Keywords
production cost, plant spacing, marketing channel, cost-return analyse, ‘Khaek Dam’
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