Social Innovation of Goat Herders: Meat Goat Farm Management in Bank Model by Group of Farmers Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in Tamot District, Phatthalung Province

Abstract

The coronavirus-19 outbreak affected the rubber tapping workers. They were unable to regularly go tapping, and this affected low-income households. The researchers developed a career in goat farming in a bank model managed by a farmer's group activity to supplement household income at Tamot district, Phatthalung Province. The project was carried from June 2020 to February 2021 by the methods of seminars, brainstorming, skill training, practices, and a reflection on the results by the participatory action research with 120 people. The results showed that the social innovation of the goat herders was the meat goat farm in a bank model which comprised the following aspects. 1) It included the structure and role of the group consisting of group executive committee, farm management committee, internal audit committee, and members. 2) It pertained to group rules for recruiting members, investing in the purchase of goats in the group's farms, and sharing profits or interests back to members. 3) It was about two GAP standard goat farms for raising 48 goats and two people in charge of goat farms with higher goat farming skills. 4) It was in connection with the tools for group operations in the bank format, including the  committee tools, goat herders, and members. Thus, there was a social innovation that helped rubber-tapping workers be self-sufficient in the situation of the COVID-19 epidemic.