Factors Affecting Farmer's Choice of Cultivating Landrace Rice: Using a Switching Regression Model

C. Phetcharat, N. Teerakul, W. Yamaka, S. Sriboonchitta, T. Janthonk

Abstract

The study aim to investigate the influential factors of the farmer's decision to cultivate landrace rice. To achieve our study, a switching regressionmodel which contain two models, selection and outcome models is used as a tool. The Bayesian method is employed to joint the distribution of error terms of theselection and outcome models under the six copula functions. Results show thatthe selection model has the normal distribution while the outcome model has thelogistic distribution. The Clayton copula is best fit to the farmer's decision model.Overall, the more educated farmer is 4.7% less likely to grow landrace rice. Theincome from non-agricultural activities has slightly effect on the farmer 0 s decision. Further, the household with available water supply is 5.4% more likely to reducethe cultivated area of the landrace rice in the next season. This because of thelocal rice varieties is drought tolerant; therefore, the farmers would prefer to useavailable water for planting other crops that give a higher return.