Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) for Community-based
Development in Thung Kong Village, Nan, Thailand
Year: 1998
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Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), an approach that allows full
participation of villagers in the community appraisal process with the
development workers was conducted in Thung Kong village, Tha Wangpha
District, Nan Province by the CBDC Nan project on 9-10 December 1998. The
study aimed to learn the background and current situation of the
community, agro-ecosystems agricultural practices focused on crop
biodiversity and plant genetic resources and farmers’ management. The
PRA tools included mapping, seasonal calendar, field survey, group
discussion, focus group discussion, interview and guide questions.
The study revealed that the three distinct resource management systems of
the community were community forest (200 rais), traditional and modified
irrigation system and fish sanctuary. These are potential areas that can
be developed to make it sustainable. There is a high diversity of crop
species grown in the village. This includes major crops such as rice,
tobacco, chili, some fruit trees and several vegetable crops like Chinese
cabages, lettuce, garlic, shallot, tomato, string beans, etc.
A PRA was conducted in Thung Kong village, Nan province on
December 9-10, 1998 as a part of South East Asia Community
Biodiversity Development and Conservation Program with the
following objectives:
- To document the community’s baseline information;
- To study the agroecosystems of the village;
- To evaluate the status of plant genetic resources and agricultural
systems; and
- To strengthen farmers’ groups concerning biodiversity development
and conservation.
The relationships of the PRA and the biodiversity and community
works are linked with information flow as shown in the figure
below.
The study hypothesized that farmers who participate in rural
appraisal have an understanding of their status in terms of
their resources and potentials.
The team and guideline questions were prepared before going to
the community. Respondents were grouped into three groups:
teenagers, adults, and farmer leader or village leader. PRA
techniques namely: mapping, seasonal calendar, field survey,
group discussion, focus group, interviews, and guideline
questions were used. Data were checked and summarized by the
respondents or community people.
Brief History of Thung Kong Village
The ancestors of Thung Kong village told their children from
generation to generation that this village was set up in 1567.
They migrated from Sipsongphanna Kingdom which was in the
southern part of China. There were two groups, one group moved
to Chiang Saen district, Chiang Rai province and the other group
moved to settle down along the Yang river or in the area of
Thung Kong village now. The name of this village means ‘field
of Kong’ (‘Kong’ is a Thai musical instrument). The old
people said that during the first settlement there was a Kong in
the field making noise without anyone hitting it every full moon
and half moon seasons. Thung Kong was a big village. Then, in
1952 it was divided into four parts or small villages: Nong,
Siew , Lom Klang and Thung Kong. Some villagers moved to other
areas nearby.
Background of the village
Nowadays, Thung Kong village is in the north of Yang river. On
the east is Don-moon village, Chiang Yuan in the north and Lom
Klang in the west.
Thung Kong is a naturally peaceful village. It is surrounded by
paddy fields and river. Generally the land is fertile and
enriched with natural water streams. The people are hospitable,
modest, cooperative and hardworking.
Thung Kong consists of 116 households. The building structure of
the houses is mostly wood. In this community there is one
primary school, five shops, four small rice-mills, one temple
and a native graveyard. The road linking it to the town of Nan
is paved. From this road, various paths lead to different parts
of Thung Kong. Majority of the people use motorcycles for
transportation. Almost every household has drinking water from
underground water.
The villagers are Lue, most of them speak the Lue language and
their religion is Buddhism and animism. The population now is
288 males and 205 females. Most of them are farmers. There were
70 households engaged in lowland-rice cultivation and 30
households engaged in upland rice farming. From this number, 60
households temporally migrated to the city in summer or
post-harvest time for employment. The average income of each
person is about 12,000 Baht per year.
Thung Kong geography and natural resources
There are many different ecosystems such as the community
ecosystem, forest ecosystem, river ecosystem, upland and lowland
agro-ecosystems.
The housing area is approximately 80 Rai(s). The agricultural
areas cover more than 400 Rai(s), divided into three parts:
paddy field (60%), lowland garden (30%) and upland garden (10%).
However, each household owns about 2-3 Rai(s) of agricultural
land.
Agricultural area in Thungkong Village
Community Forest
Thung Kong and Nong villagers have participated in forest
conservation since 1975. Hence, they decided to have a community
forest. Based on experience, they knew they could utilize as
well as take care of this forest. They have followed the same
rules in the established forest covering 200 Rai(s). This
community forest is the source of their water and food.
Traditional Water Irrigation
In the past, traditional water irrigation systems helped them to
secure water for their agriculture. Now they can use modern
water irrigation system - a cemented dam instead of a wooden
one. Water management is an indigenous knowledge system. Water
from the Bouh canal provide water for Thung Kong, Chiang Yuan
and Low Klang villagers. If there is little water, they get
water from theYang river. Every year before the rice planting
season, farmers would help each other to mend the canal dam.
Each person should pay 25 Baht per Rai for the committee to
manage the construction.
Fish Sanctuary
There is a fish sanctuary in the Yang river, a natural river.
Before establishing it, the CBDC farmers and village leaders
obtained information and knowledge on fish conservation from the
Hag Muang Nan Network. Then, they held the village meetings,
with people from different ages involved in the planning. The
villagers said that they wanted a fish sanctuary to conserve
native fishes, to increase the number of fish, to provide a pond
for fishes and to create a new park for everybody.
PGR, indigenous knowledge system and agricultural data
Diversity of PGR
Besides rice as the major crop in the village, tobacco and many
species of vegetable crops are also grown as shown in the Table
below.
Diversity of food crops, reasons of production (for sale or for consumption), seed sources and lost varieties in Thung Kong
village, 1998
|
Crop |
Varieties |
For Sale |
For consumption |
Seed sources |
Lost varieties |
|
1. Rice |
Old New
Dor Marlar RD 6
Dor Mong RD 8
Hmoey Nong RD 10
Dor Nokgan RD 15
Dor Wang Phare
Dor Phrao
Dor Boonma
(RD - Rice Department) |
25% |
75% |
- RD 6, 8, 10, 15 get from District Agriculture Unit
- Farmer exchanges
- Farmer Selection
- CBDC Project
|
Daeng
Farang
Pha Lor
Gankoth
Doungput
|
|
2. Tobacco |
Virginia |
3 |
|
|
- |
|
3. Chili |
Daresaew Yoark Kienon
Saw Darecheepa |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
|
4. Lettuce |
San Jon Yee
Khewpea |
3 |
3 |
- Farmers’ selection
- Bought from shops in town
|
- |
|
5. Garlic |
Local variety
Chiang Mai variety |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
|
6. Red Onion |
Local |
|
3 |
- Farmers’ selection
- Bought from shops in towm
|
- |
|
7. Pakgee |
Local |
|
3 |
|
- |
8. Pakchee
(Celery) |
Local |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
9. Tomato |
Srida
Local |
|
3 |
- Farmers’ selection
- Bought
|
- |
|
10. Eggplant |
Local |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
|
11. String beans |
Local |
3 |
3 |
- Farmers’ selection
- Bought
- Exchanges
|
- |
|
12. Pumpkin |
Local |
3 |
3 |
- Farmers’ selection
- Bought from shops
|
|
|
13. Bottle gourd |
Local
kangkar |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
14. Cucumber |
White
Green |
3 |
3 |
- Bought
- Farmers’ selection
|
|
Diverse rice varieties are grown. Old varieties are exchanged
among farmers and the CBDC project and the new ones come from
government agencies. This indicates the ability of the community
to maintain the diversity of rice genetic resources, as well as
vegetable crops, the seeds of which come from farmers’
selections. However, some of the local varieties had been lost
for about 10 years.
Since the villagers, like other local northern Thai usually
consume glutinous rice, almost all of the rice varieties planted
(except RD 15), are glutinous rice and about 75% of the rice
production are consumed. Early maturing rice varieties were
preferred because most farmers grow some crops such as tobacco
and chili soon after harvesting rice.
Indigenous Knowledge System
The indigenous knowledge of the villagers in seed processing and
storage by crop species had been documented. Gathered
information suggests that the farmers already knew quite well
about the different techniques in seed selection, processing and
storage appropriate for each crop.
Indigenous knowledge in seed process ing and storage
|
Varieties |
Seed Processing and Storage |
|
Rice |
- Keep seeds in rice farm
- Select only big panicles
|
|
Chili |
- Dry ripe fruits
- Select big fruits and cut to get the seeds; expose under the
sun until dried; finally kept in glass or bottle
- Collect seeds when fruits are ripe and dry
|
|
Lettuce/Garlic/Red Onion |
|
|
Pakchee/Pakgee |
|
|
Tomato/Eggplant/Cucumber |
- Leave ripe fruit for a few then take out the seeds, dry and
put in plastic bag or in bottle gourd
|
|
Bottle gourd |
|
Other Agriculture Data
Agro-economic data of major crops grown in the village show that
rice occupies the largest area and the highest proportion of
households involved in farming. Tobacco rated as second major
source of income from agriculture in the community. Chili was
also another important cash crop providing high return per area.
Only two households in the community grow fruit trees such as
orange and longan
Major crops in Thung Kong Village, 1996
|
Crop |
Area size (rai) |
Number of households |
Yield (kg/rai) |
Net yield (kg/household |
Cost of production (baht/rai) |
Yield price (baht/kg) |
|
Rice |
134 |
40 |
650 |
9,100 |
1,250 |
3-5 |
|
Tobacco |
115 |
38 |
2,500 |
- |
2,000 |
4 |
|
Orange |
10 |
2 |
- |
- |
3,000 |
- |
|
Longan |
9 |
2 |
- |
- |
3,000 |
- |
|
Chili |
10 |
20 |
- |
- |
3,000 |
- |
Planting Calendar
The PRA activity also summarized some important information on
the existing cropping patterns and cropping calendar including
duration of cultivation practices in the village. The community
had farming activities throughout the year - or they already use
their land for agriculture enterprise quite intensively.
Cultivation calendar corresponds to the climate calendar that
included both transplanted lowland rice and upland rice during
the rainy season.
Finally, the use of fertilizers, chemicals, fungicides and
hormones including the consumption and sale of various crops in
the village in 1988 are shown in Table 7. This indicates that
crop inputs such as fertilizers are used for most crops except
for rice and peanut. Chili used fertilizers, chemicals and even
hormone.
PRA could help people learn public problems. It is an
interactive way of learning and it also supports people
participation. Because PRA is one of the tools that can help
review and solve farmers’ problems, community’s problems,
resources and environmental problems. Hence, it is very useful
in collecting community data. These data are needed in
community-based development in Thailand.
The PRA in Thung Kong village was arranged to help villagers.
The CBDC staff and other sectors analyzed community potentials
and problems. Data reveal that there are natural resources and
diversity of plant genetic resources .The status of PGR in each
agro-ecosysem is different according to farms‘ patterns.
Villagers could maintain diversity of local plants and add new
varieties by getting these from the markets, NGOs and other
institutes.
However, PGR erosion occurs because local varieties are replaced
by improved varieties and farmers change their production
objectives. For example they change their pattern of planting
rice followed by local vegetables to another, rice crop followed
by tobacco and chinese vegetables. As a result, they abandon
late maturing rice varieties. Aside from this, they get their
seeds from the markets, through seed exchange or from research
institutes.
Majority of the farmers own land. They use indigenous knowledge
in living such as managing a community forest, traditional water
irrigation and a fish sanctuary. Moreover, it is easy to access
and extend community based development project of CBDC to nearby
communities. There are some agricultural problems specifically
the intensive use of chemicals in this community which needs to
be discussed and solved.
Chaikamwong, R. and T. Saison. 199. Data of Thongkong Community.
CBDC Nan project. Thailand. Unpublished.
Picture taken during the PRA at Thung Kong Village: Participants of the PRA
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