Good agricultural practice in transition of durian growers towards participatory approach in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand

The specific objectives of this study were to: 1) determine GAP [Good Agricultural Practice] of durian growers towards farmers'-participation approach, 2) examine existing condition and constraints in durian cultivation, and 3) initiate durian GAP innovation. Information on durian GAP was gathered from relevant agencies and in-depth interview with stakeholders and durian growers in Chanthaburi province. They also have been certified on durian GAP by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand. There were several advantages in GAP durian production such as suitable physical factors for cultivation, local wisdom and skillfulness on cultivation technique that came from their long experiences, capability input used and also abundant recommendation technology to attain both quantity and quality towards market standardization. In addition, there were more market channels that access surrounding the areas. Weak points included exaggeration input used, higher cost, and market risk. However, because of GAP promotion, there were significantly lower chemical input used particularly fertilizer and pesticides used among certified growers. There were also increasing diversified crops that reduced risk instead of durian monocrops. Furthermore, cultivators have more opportunity to access R and D [research and development] program from Office of Agricultural Research and Development (OARD), and Horticulture Research Centre (HRC), respectively. Currently, over existing oil crisis, the respondents faced a lot of constraints in particular high cost of transportation while compare with the other resource product, Rayong province. Recommendations for GAP promotion from concerned agencies were: 1) local wisdom harmonized with recommendation technology should be promoted, 2) durian central wholesale market center for GAP durian products only should be urgently provided, 3) image and brand name promotion should be continuously promoted both domestic and abroad through various media channels, and 4) appropriate and efficient vertical durian promotion data should be easily accessible.