POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN TRUCK TRANSPORTATION ON THE VALUE OF PRODUCTION AND INCOMES IN THAILAND"S RICE AGRICULTURE

The study is part of a joint effort by the Thai Division of Agricultural Economics and Iowa State University to analyze the Thai transportation infrastructure, particularly as it relates to agriculture. The report first describes current agriculture related use of the Thai transportation system, reviews the systems"s problems, and estimates the extent to which an improved system would promote agricultural development. Next, the report presents a linear programming model for rice transportation in Thailand, explaining its mathematical formulation, key assumptions, and delineation of geographical regions. The model"s data for rice supply and utilization, as well as estimated costs for various modes of transportation, are provided. The model measures the potential economic impact of both 0-30% increases, and 0-30% decreases, in truck transport costs. The effect of such variations on farm income, rice value, and utilization of other forms of transportation is analyzed. Results are presented separately by region. The report includes a bibliography and numerous tables.