Guidelines on Manpower Development to Become Entrepreneurs in Agricultural Career Paths: Learning from Experience of the Developmental Project of the New Generation of Farmers

Abstract

This qualitative study aims 1) to analyze the manpower crisis in agricultural sector of Thailand, 2) to learnfrom experience of the developmental project of the new generation of farmers, 3) to analyze the paths to become entrepreneurs in agricultural careers and 4) to proposeguidelines on manpower development to become entrepreneurs in agricultural career paths. Data collection were done through techniques of content analysis, interview, focus group, and idea mobilization among 41 concerned people including representatives of national farmers and new generation farmers and a survey of settlements of sufficient economy. Then the data were analyzed by the method of content analysis. Findings revealed that at present the manpower in agricultural sector is declining and therefore affecting food security. Children of farmers do not follow their parents thus to be farmers. Moreover, while Thai society is becoming a society of the elders, the average age of Thai farmers is also getting higher. This suggests that Thai farmers are still of the past generation. This also impacts on knowledge body of farming and farm productivity. From a study on the provision of agricultural education,it was found that in terms of both quality and quantity, the number of graduates in agriculture is reducing and these graduates do not enter agricultural careers. The developmental project of the new generation of farmers is an effort to create opportunity and to develop learning potential to enter agricultural careers. To some extent, it can develop agricultural productivity, upgrade farming occupation and enhance the agricultural manpower because in this project, there is a concrete course to develop participants’ potential under definite collaborative parties and the participants are supported in terms of a productive factor of farming land. The guidelines on manpower development to become agricultural entrepreneurs are composed of 4 ways as follows: 1) that graduates of both levels of CVE and/or HCVE (Certificate/ Higher Certificate of Vocational Education) from agricultural colleges should enter the labor markets of entrepreneurial businesses after their graduations to accumulate experience both in farming and management and capital saving., 2) to follow the career paths according to the guidelines by the developmental project of the new generation of farmers through development of learning potential for careers and support in terms of a productive factors by public and/or private sectors concerned,  3) to design prototypes of agricultural entrepreneurs and mentoring systems, and4) to network agricultural entrepreneurs