Capacity Enhancement for Agricultural Workers in Mangosteen Product

The two primary objectives of this research were (1) 
to examine the current knowledge and actual circumstance of 
agricultural workers about mangosteen product processing; and (2) to 
analyze and evaluate ways to develop capacity of mangosteen 
product processing. The population of this study was 15,125 people 
who work in the agricultural sector, in this context, mangosteen 
production, in the eastern part of Thailand that included Chantaburi 
Province, Rayong Province, Trad Province and Pracheenburi 
Province. The sample size based on Yamane’s calculation with 95% 
reliability was therefore 392 samples. Mixed method was employed 
included questionnaire and focus group discussion with 
Connoisseurship Model used in order to collect quantitative and 
qualitative data. Key informants were used in the focus group 
including agricultural business owners, academic people in agro food 
processing, local academics, local community development staff, 
OTOP subcommittee, and representatives of agro processing 
industry professional organizations. The study found that the 
majority of the respondents agreed with a high level (in five- rating 
scale) towards most of variables of knowledge management in agro 
food processing. The result of the current knowledge and actual 
circumstance of agricultural human resource in an arena of 
mangosteen product processing revealed that mostly, the respondents 
agreed at a high level to establish 7 variables. The guideline to 
developing the body of knowledge in order to enhance the capacity 
of the agricultural workers in mangosteen product processing was 
delivered in the focus group discussion. The discussion finally 
contributed to an idea to produce manuals for mangosteen product 
processing methods, with 4 products chosen: (1) mangosteen soap; 
(2) mangosteen juice; (3) mangosteen toffee; and (4) mangosteen 
preserves or jam.

• Cholpassorn Sitthiwarongchai
• Chutikarn Sriviboon

• Capacity Enhancement
• Agricultural Workers
• Mangosteen Product Processing.

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