Research on World Agricultural Economy

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Standards bySmall-Scale Vegetable Farmers in the Northeast of Thailand

Keattichai Montreewong

Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, KhonKaen University, KhonKaen 40002, Thailand

Supaporn Poungchompu

Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, KhonKaen University, KhonKaen 40002, Thailand

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v7i1.2656

Received: 20 August 2025 | Revised: 23 September 2025 | Accepted: 28 September 2025 | Published Online: 17 March 2026

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Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the determinants of adopting GAP standards. Based on this, a simple random sampling method would be used for selecting 300 farmers, and binary logistic regression would be used for assessing factors that influenced the adoption of GAP. The findings showed that the average income of vegetable farmers who implemented GAP standards was significantly higher than that of farmers who did not. The land area under vegetable production was also much greater for GAP adopters than for non-adopters. The cultivation area (p < 0.01), training frequency (p < 0.01), average income per production cycle (p < 0.01), educational level (p < 0.05), age of the farmers (p < 0.05), and family size (p < 0.05) were the significant factors influencing GAP adoption. Specifically, the cultivation area had a peak exposure to suitable physical resources is vital for effective compliance with GAP standards. As a result of such findings, this study provides several contributions in terms of policy recommendations, such as targeted investments on improving agriculture structures, the continuing training of farmers and dissemination of information, the support of low-income farmers in managing their finances and resources, and the continuous learning incentive that may assist in transitioning small-scale farmers to eco-friendly production processes.

Keywords: Safety Vegetable; Good Agricultural Practice (GAP); Smallholder Farmers; Adoption; Technology

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