Author : Chakrit Potchanasin

Summary : Agricultural activities and resource utilization of hill tribes in Wat Chan Catchment are mainly for subsistence. With the rice deficit for consumption and an increased population together with water shortage and limitation of land suitable for agriculture in 1979 the Royal Project Foundation (RPF) started the programs to introduce temperate crops in the catchment in order to improve household income. At present, households who become RPF members are accounted to 83.33% of the total. However, the technology introduced by RPF may lead to a change in the natural resource utilization of the area. The study is aimed to examine the socio-economic characteristics and the resource utilization of households in the area. Their socio-economic characteristics are compared between two household groups, those who are members and those who are not, using t-test statistic. The households' agricultural activities and resource utilization are determined at the catchment level according to their current socio-economic and environmental conditions, using linear programming model. The study also examines the impacts of a change in RPF policy, economic condition, and natural resource condition. The results of the study indicate that the net household incomes earned by both groups are not significantly different. It is found that the first group obtains higher net household income over cash cost, net farm income over cash cost, and net crop income over cash cost, which are statistically different at 95%.