The Socioeconomic Status of Coffee Farmers and Soil Properties for Coffee Cultivation in Various Models in Xiang Ngern District

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the socioeconomic status of coffee farmers and soil properties associated with different coffee cultivation models in Xieng Ngeun District. The research was conducted in the PhouThat village cluster of Xieng Ngeun District, Luang Prabang Province. The coffee cultivation systems examined included: (1) cultivation under natural forest shade, (2) under agroforestry shade, and (3) open-field cultivation without shade. Data were collected through direct interviews with coffee farmers, with a sample of 30 individuals per cultivation system, totaling 90 respondents. The data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 20 to compute frequency distributions and other descriptive statistics.

The majority of coffee farmers were male (67.8%) and aged between 41–50 years (70%). Most had attained primary education (94%) and were married (95.6%). All participants identified as gardeners, with household sizes ranging from 4 to 8 members (58.9%), and the majority belonged to the Khmu ethnic group (88%). In terms of economic data, landholdings ranged from 0.01 to 0.5 hectares. Most farmers earned between 2,500,000 and 3,000,000 LAK from coffee cultivation (77.9%), and had additional income sources ranging from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 LAK (83.6%).

Soil pH did not significantly differ between systems (P ≥ 0.05). The highest soil fertility was found in coffee plots under natural forest shade (treatment 1), followed by agroforestry shade (treatment 2), with the lowest fertility observed in open-field cultivation (treatment 3). The study found that areas with loamy soil texture and higher values of EC, %OM, N, P₂O₅, and K₂O under natural forest shade were more suitable for coffee cultivation.

Coffee farming provides a key source of income for local farmers. Among the cultivation models, coffee grown under natural forest shade showed better soil fertility, making it the most sustainable and productive option.