Improving Quality of Life of Rubber Farmers at Non Samphan Village, Kai Nun Sub - District, Huai Phueng District, Kalasin Province

Abstract

Objectives of this research were: 1. to study the quality of life of rubber farmers 2. To analyze problems and obstacles in improving the quality of life of rubber farmers 3. To suggest ways to solve problems and obstacles in improving the quality of life of rubber farmers. It was a qualitative research, collected data  with research tools, namely in-depth-interviewing five target key informants groups, namely, 1) the village headman 2) the village headman's assistant 3) the village committee 4) rubber farmers and 5) People, then bring information collected from documents, literature and interview forms to analyze by content descriptive analysis. The results of the study of quality-of-life issues of rubber farmers were found that the quality of life of rubber farmers was divided into 6 aspects as follows. 1) Physical aspect by rubber farmers; there were opinions about health, which after working in rubber plantations tended to have more health problems. Whether it's about leg pain, arm pain, waist pain, back pain, body pain. It also feels unusually easy to get tired. 2) Emotional, depending on the situation each day, each year. But usually rubber farmers were good-natured. They talked with neighbors regularly But if there is a situation that does not improve with the rubber plantation, such as being smuggled, stealing a piece of rubber latex did not flow as expected The rubber tree was not growing that make farmers have a bad mood, get angry and think hard about the produce. 3. Physical environment. Before starting to grow rubber, various environments of the farmers, it was an area with forests and trees periodically. Scattered throughout the farm area but when farmers started to plant rubber, they will start to cut the trees out. 4. Cultural environment, which has changed from employing workers to working on their own. Due to the falling rubber prices and higher fertilizer prices. 5. Thought The main reason that farmers have the idea that they want to plant rubber. This comes from seeing other people who grow rubber and they were successful, had money, gold, cars, gets rich after they planted rubber. In addition, rubber is produced throughout the year. This is why farmers feel the desire to succeed. As a result, the farmers switched to planting rubber. due to the fear that the output was insufficient to meet the investment costs Because the cost of planting rubber was very expensive, such as the cost of rubber breeding, fertilizer, planting, which were a lot of money. Therefore, it was a cause for farmers to worry that cause  poor mental state.