Development of Commercial Cultivation of Field Crops in Thailand : A Case Study in Saraburi and Lopburi Provinces (<Special Issue>Transformation of Agriculture in Northeast Thailand)

Abstract

Rice and rubber were major farm products for export from Thailand before the 1950s. Maize and other field crops were added to them in the 1960s. They were cultivated in newly opened lands. This paper describes the process of reclamation and the changes thereafter in a typical area of commercial cultivation of maize, and analyzes the land, technological and economic factors related to them. The fieldwork was carried out in an area extending between Saraburi and Lopburi provinces, which was reclaimed in the 1950s. Within the area, significant variations in cropping pattern, technology and productivity were observed. These spatial variations were largely governed by such physical conditions as rainfall and soil until around 1980. Thereafter, various modern technologies were adopted within a short period, which resulted in greater diversification in crops and the farming system.