Rationale

Lower Northeastern Province Group 1 is an important region with great potential and plenty of opportunity for economic growth since there are several supporting factors such as natural resources and tourist attractions.There is a diversity that attracts tourists and culture which is the identity of the area. It is the provincial group with the largest holding area for agriculture, capable of producing various types of official crops, and as a link to the agricultural processing industry.Additionally, it is the kitchen of the country and is the only transportation route, close and convenient, from the central region to the upper northeast, to the Central and Northern Lao PDR, to the Central and Northern Vietnam, including the southern part of China. Moreover, it is an important resource of water source and is a principle source of agricultural products, namely rice, cassava, cattle, dairy cattle and goats. There is an international airport of the Lower Northeastern Region 1. In addition, there are educational institutions that have research works, expertise, as well as good technology to support the manufacturing sector, processing, and other developments. There are a large number of industrial plants and workers, capable of supporting future expansion of the industrial and service sectors. Furthermore, people in the area are equipped with high financial implications, which was shown by the low ratio of bad debt to loan amount.       

However, the Lower Northeastern Province Group 1 still have areas that need to be developed such as the undeveloped villages, which scatter in each district of Nakhon Ratchasima. Therefore, there are weaknesses that need to be developed and improved in various aspects such as lack of implementation of new innovations to increase potentials in agriculture and other industries, a low number of agricultural products for consumption have passed standards, and lack of agricultural marketing plan. Besides, there is a lack of linkage of community products into marketing and industrial sectors, including processing, such as low shelf life, non-standard products,unattractive packaging etc.Therefore, it is urgently necessary to solve these problems in order to achieve the strategic issues of the Nakhonchai Burin Provincial Group on the development of competitiveness in agriculture industry and processing as well as to achieve goals,which has strategically positioned the business as a production source of agricultural products and safe food of the country.

Summary (Problem Conditions / Requirements)

A large number of farmers and SMEs entrepreneurs in the Nakhonchai Burin area still lack knowledge and understanding in the process, methods and procedures for achieving agricultural and food standards and related hygienic production standards.

Program Objectives

1) To transfer knowledge and innovation in agriculture and integrated processing to
participants and in the area that needs to be urgently developed such as undeveloped
villages in Nakhon Ratchasima.

2)  To develop competitiveness for agriculture industry and processing.

3)  To create a database of producers of agricultural products and processing.

4)  To develop an application for simple agricultural farm management.