Component Factors Affecting Choices of Optimal Distribution Channels on Vegetables with Good Agricultural Practice Standard in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

    The objectives of this study were to analyze; 1) component factors of distribution channel choices for vegetables with Good Agricultural Practice Standard (GAP) and 2) a relationship between component factors and distribution channel choices of GAP vegetables. Samples of the study were 166 farmer households in Chiang Mai province. The instrument used was questionnaire, i.e., ratio scales, and check list. The power of discrimination was 0.80. The study was analyzed by means of factor analysis and Multinomial Logit model (MNL).

It indicated that 1) component factors consisted of institution, economics, and farmer characteristics and 2) they related to access to production knowledge service and increasing other agricultural incomes resulted in an increasing opportunity in Royal Project or processing company markets. Similarly, adequacy of fund sources and loan amount, increasing household labor, and capability of the production indicating experience and education level had an influenced on supermarket and local food safety markets. Furthermore, adequacy of fund sources and loan amount and increasing total incomes from non-agriculture source were conductive to increasing opportunity in local markets. However, changing adequacy of fund sources and loan amount, increasing the total incomes, increasing household labor, and earning capability of older farmers influenced the decreasing opportunity in RP or processing company. Furthermore, changing of access to production knowledge service and increasing other agricultural incomes led to decreasing opportunity in local markets. Hence, the increasing opportunity of component factors should be maintained while the decreasing opportunity in some factors should be improved, resulting in a competitive advantage.