TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR THE CHEMICAL-FREE PRODUCTION OF PAPER FROM RICE STRAW. CASE STUDY: LARGE-SCALE RICE FARMING GROUP, BAN DAI SUBDISTRICT, MUEANG MAE SAI DISTRICT, CHIANG RAI PROVINCE
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Abstract
This research article has objectives which are 1) to transfer the chemical-free knowledge of rice straw paper production and study the paper's properties, and 2) to study the production cost of organic rice straw paper products to enhance income for the community enterprise group. The study was conducted using purposive sampling on 36 participants from the rice farming group in Ban Dai Sub-district, Mueang Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai Province. Data collection involved questionnaires and interviews, analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, standard deviation) and economic analysis. The key findings are: 1) Knowledge Transfer and Paper Properties: The technology transfer, employing Phod. 2 microorganism for straw digestion, was highly successful; 36 participants showed a knowledge increase of 90% and the highest satisfaction level (4.88) with the practical procedures. The biopulping process is energy-saving. When the resulting paper was compressed into plate products, a thickness of 0.35 mm was found to be the optimal value, yielding plates with the best tensile strength and lowest water absorption, making them suitable for packaging. 2) Production Cost and Income Enhancement: The production cost of one paper sheet (90x60 cm) was found to be only 84 Satang. With a selling price of 20 Baht per sheet, the Break-Even Point (BEP) is 32 sheets per day, a level easily achievable by the group, leading to good profitability. The group possesses a significant amount of organic rice straw (27.9 tons per year), ensuring continuous production capacity. This chemical-free, low-cost product provides a competitive advantage in the health- and environment-conscious market.
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References
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