Learning Management of Small-Scale Pig Farmers to Adopt Biogas Coproduction: A Case Study of Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to identify farm and small-scale pig farmers’ characteristics that affected their learning management to adopt biogas coproduction (BcP) 2) to determine
the attributes of BcP that predicted small-scale pig farmers’ learning management to adopt BcP, and
3) to evaluate small-scale pig farmers’, ministry officials’, and experts’ perspectives on adoption of BcP. The research employed mixed methods using quantitative and qualitative data. The research instrument used in the study consisted of 1) a questionnaire and 2) a semi-structured interview. A sample was selected using purposive sampling, including 1) 90 small-scale pig farmers in Ratchaburi province,
2) 3 ministry officials, and 3) 3 academic and industry experts. Statistics used in quantitative data analysis included percentage, mean, standard deviation, T-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. Analyses of qualitative data used content analysis. The results of the study revealed that 1) education level, monthly farm income, number of pigs on farm, technology adoption experience, and networking or collaboration experience affected learning management to adopt BcP of small-scale pig farmers statistically significant at the 0.05 level., 2) Compatibility ( = 0.670), relative advantage ( = 0.279), complexity ( = 0.124), and trialability ( = 0.113) were predictors of small-scale pig farmers' learning management to adopt BcP at the 70.2 percentage, with positive and statistical significance at the 0.05 level., and 3) Small-scale pig farmers were more likely to adopt BcP at a higher rate when it had financial support, knowledge and expertise, an introduction to biosecurity, actual case visits and observations, and involvement by state agencies.