DRONE TECHNOLOGY FOR COST REDUCTION AND PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT AMONG SUFFICIENCY ECONOMY FARMERS: A CASE STUDY IN PHETCHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate: 1) the patterns of drone technology application in agriculture by farmers practicing the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy 2) the effects of drone technology on reducing production costs; and 3) the effects of drone technology on enhancing production efficiency for farmers in Phetchaburi Province. The sample group consisted of 428 farmers in Phetchaburi Province, aged between 30 and 40 years, determined using Cochran (1977) formula for sample size calculation at a 95% confidence level. The research instrument was a questionnaire, demonstrating a reliability coefficient of 0.96. Statistical analyses included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. The research findings revealed 1) The application of drone technology significantly led to reduced production costs for farmers practicing the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Phetchaburi Province. Influential factors included the mode of application (X_pp), type of agricultural activity (X_aa) and specific needs of the cultivated area (X_ca​). These factors collectively predicted 69.4% of the variation in cost reduction (R2=0.694), and the raw score prediction equation is _total = 0.779 + 0.891(X_pp) + 0.494(X_aa) + 0.661(X_ca) 2) The application of drone technology significantly enhanced production efficiency for farmers practicing the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Phetchaburi Province. Influential factors included the mode of application (X_pp), type of agricultural activity (X_aa) and specific needs of the cultivated area (X_ca). These factors collectively predicted 54.2% of the variation in efficiency enhancement (R2=0.542), and the raw score prediction equation is _total = 0.529 + 0.465(X_pp) + 0.553(X_aa) + 0.335(X_ca)