The Relationship Between Agricultural Technology and Entrepreneurial Society in Thung Kula Rong Hai, Northeastern Thailand, From the 1970s to 2000s

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The previous studies on rural entrepreneurship issues have focused on two key aspects. First, the transformation from peasants to entrepreneurs underlined by peasants’ economic mobility and the formation of their collective political consciousness. Second, the use of agricultural technology to enhance production efficiency and its primary use in business. However, these studies tend to overlook the socio-cultural dimensions of entrepreneurial groups that have emerged as a result of economic transformation. By explaining through the roles of other elements in order to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon of rural entrepreneurship. The objectives of the study are 1) to examine the emergence and the characteristics of the entrepreneurs in Thung Kula Rong Hai, Northeastern Thailand, from the 1970s to 2000s; and 2) to examine the relationship between agricultural technology and entrepreneurial society in Thung Kula Rong Hai, Northeastern Thailand, from the 1970s to 2000s.

Methods: This study employed a historical approach and presents the findings in an analytical description format. Data were collected between April 2023 and May 2024 through in-depth interviews and focus groups with agricultural technology entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs operate businesses providing plowing and rice-harvesting services using tractors, large tractors, and rice combine harvesters, which are the most commonly used machines. There were 22 interviewees in total, divided into 3 groups according to age as follows: 1) entrepreneurs aged 35–45 years, 5 interviewees; 2) entrepreneurs aged 45–55 years, 8 interviewees; and 3) entrepreneurs aged 55–65 years, 9 interviewees. The interviews in each group provided different information, such as the origins of entrepreneurs, group formation and networking, finding employment, competition in the rice farming employment business, engine maintenance, and beliefs. The reason for choosing Community A, Kaset Wisai District, Roi Et province since entrepreneurs were able to form groups in the first place in the Northeast and then expand their rice farming businesses to other regions of Thailand, in terms of the study time frame between the 1970s and 2000s, which was the starting point of the emergence of entrepreneurs, group formation and networking, and the emergence of relationships between technology and entrepreneurs in many dimensions.

Results: The study results found that in the 1970s, the government began to encourage villagers to grow Thung Kula Rong Hai jasmine rice instead of local rice varieties. As a result, in the 1990s, agricultural technology spread to Community A. The villagers preferred using tractors and harvesters in large numbers, leading to a change in production methods from human labor to machines, which increased efficiency, reduced costs, and shortened production times. These villagers saw that these technologies were effective for rice farming, so they started offering rice farming services using machinery, which led to the formation of entrepreneurs. Later, in the 1990s–2000s, the economic networks of these entrepreneurs expanded to the Thung Kula Rong Hai area and other regions. These economic networks were linked to other related economic networks, such as repair shops that repaired, modified, and created innovations. In addition, tractors and harvesters became the symbols of modernity, representing entrepreneurs in various aspects, and were integrated into their lives and beliefs. 

Application of this study: The use of agricultural technology in the Thung Kula Rong Hai area plays an important role in the economic development of the region because it demonstrates the ability to expand a variety of related business networks. Therefore, the development of the government's rural agricultural policy should aim to develop agricultural technology entrepreneurs in a comprehensive manner, starting from entrepreneurship creation, support in terms of knowledge, technology, capital, and marketing, along with creating a business ecosystem that is interconnected as a guideline for effectively developing entrepreneur groups in the rural sector.

Conclusions: Agricultural technology plays a crucial role in driving the economy and fostering the emergence of tractor and rice harvester entrepreneurs in Community A. This business reflects that they have skills, experiences, abilities to identify opportunities, bear risks, and build networks, etc. Furthermore, the role of agricultural technology is not limited to functioning as mere production machinery; it also contributes to the creation of diverse networks, including rice farming services and vehicle repair businesses. Additionally, it is evident that entrepreneurs have integrated tractors and harvesters into their family relationship systems, while also performing rituals based on local beliefs. These rituals include worshiping the guardian spirits of the sky and the earth, as well as the spirits residing in the tractors and the harvesters, before embarking on their work.