Rice Combine Harvester Industry in the Central Region of Thailand

The study had the following objectives: first, to study the present conditions of rice combine harvester industry, second, to study the present policies and measures affecting the industry; and third, to provide recommendations to improve the industry. The study was conducted in the central part of Thailand during 2015-16. Secondary data were collected from various government offices and universities. Primary data were collected from combine harvester factories, and others stakeholders. Findings were described with percentage, and average statistics. The rice combine harvester factories could be divided into two groups, big and small. Domestic markets were the principal target and export markets were insignificant. The “product innovation” was based on the copy and development method and their investment in R&D were minimal. High precision tools and computer-aided programs were used mainly by big factories. All managerial decisions were done mainly on the basis of the owners’ experiences. Some policies and measures were directly or indirectly beneficial, and some were binding. None of the surveyed firms used the facilities. Fiscal and monetary measures could be used to increase the performance of the industry. They should help increase both demand for and supply. For example, export tax credit should be a measure to stimulate export demand. Investment tax credit should be introduced to encourage firms to invest in new or sophisticated equipment. Professional qualification standards should be introduced to help raise the workmanship. All expenses for various trainings should be tax deductible. A sufficient amount of budget should be continually allocated to involving offices and universities to do researches and development.