PERI-URBAN AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOOD PERSISTENCE AND URBAN EXPANSION IMPACTS ON FARMERS: A CASE STUDY OF KO TAEO SUBDISTRICT, MUEANG DISTRICT, SONGKHLA PROVINCE

Abstract

This study aims to: 1) examine the economic, social, and cultural context of agricultural households; 2) analyze the impacts of urban expansion on agricultural areas; and 3) propose approaches to sustaining agricultural livelihoods in peri-urban areas alongside urban development. A qualitative research methodology was employed, with purposive sampling used to select 25 key informants, including 20 farmers and 5 local stakeholders. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation, and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings reveal that: 1) agricultural households rely on multiple income sources, with agriculture remaining an important source of food and supplementary income, but no longer serving as a stable primary income due to rising production costs and labor constraints; 2) most informants reported a continuous decline in agricultural land, with a shift from rice fields to commercial crop plantations and residential areas, alongside increasing land prices, higher production costs, and an aging population structure, all of which affect the long-term continuity of farming; and 3) farmers have adapted through integrated farming practices, subsistence production, and the use of community-based and online marketing channels. The findings further indicate that the core issue extends beyond the reduction of agricultural land to structural constraints linking land, labor, and market systems. Therefore, sustaining agricultural livelihoods in peri-urban areas should emphasize context-appropriate land management at the local level, the development of alternative market channels connecting farmers with urban consumers, and the promotion of value-added agricultural products. These approaches are practical at the community level and align with the local context