The studies of the production and return on investment of lotus seeds derived from the interviews made among 20 lotus agriculturists who do not use chemical fertilizer in their plantation in the area of Tambol Tabkrit, Amphoe Chumsaeng, Nakorn Sawan Province, and the interviews of one particular agriculturist of an experimental plantation of the Department of Agricultural Extension who uses chemical fertilizer at a proper proportion in the plantation of lotus, based on the prices and production facilities of the year B.E. 2527/2528. Beside this, the studies also concentrated on the commercial function of the lotus seeds of the Kingdom as a whole, inclusive of problem which involves agriculture and trade of the seeds proper, in order to give a guideline to the farmers and interested persons who desire to produce lotus seeds with husk to decide on what necessary steps are to be take. The results of the studies can be summarized in the following manners. The cost for the production of the lotus seeds with husk of other farmers and the experimental plantation farmer averages Baht 1,486.08 and Baht 2,023.90 per rai respectively. Thus, it can be seen that averagely the cost for the production of the lotus seeds with husk of the experimental plantation is higher than the cost for the production of the lotus seeds with husk of other farmers, i.e. Baht 537.82 per rai. The major part of the difference of the cost is due to the prices of the chemical fertilizer used. An analysis of the return on investment of lotus seeds with husk can be summarized as follows. The production of the lotus seeds with husk of other farmers and the experimental plantation yields the rate of return on investment based on cash profit in the neighbourhood of 51.35% and 71.39% per rai respectively. In terms of revenues and expenses, the total expenses/total revenues ratio in percentage is 160.18 and 72.08 respectively. An analysis on the rate of return in terms of economy indicates the rate of return/total costs per rai, in percentage, is (37.57) and 38.74 respectively. In term of farm management, in real terms (Cash expenses plus depreciation), the ratio of real expenses to total costs, in percentage, is 80.80 and 221.37 respectively. Thus, it can be seen that the rate of return from the production of the lotus seeds with husk of the experimental plantation is higher than the rate of return form the production of the lotus seeds with husk of other farmers in all respects. Due to the investment in the application of the chemical fertilizer of appropriate ratio on the experimental plantation, the crop yield per rai of the experimental plantation is higher than that per rai of the plantation of other farmers, which results in a higher total revenue from the production of the lotus seeds with husk of the experimental plantation.
In terms of trade of the lotus seeds in the Kingdom, presently the production in the domestic markets of the lotus seeds is in the forms of dried seeds and sugar-coated seeds. Even though the quantity of the production and the sales are not much, this leads to a considerable increase in the domestic demand, resulting in the decrease in the export of the lotus seeds abroad to an extent. In connection with the problems on the lotus seeds in terms of agriculture and trade, it can be summarized as follow. An important problem in the agricultural sector is the that the farmers lack the knowledge in regard to the application of the new technical production means, for example the use of pesticides and the application of chemical fertilizer to increase the production capacity, which forces them to depend entirely on the conditions of the climate and circumstances. The lack of the capital of the farmers invites no opportunity to increase their production capacity to a great extent. Such agricultural problems are basic needs which greatly affect the expansion of the lotus seeds industry. Both the quantity and the quality of the production of the lotus seeds with husk of the farmers should be capable of supporting the domestic demand as well as feeding the factories with rapid and proper extraction process. In order to provide an opportunity to widen the lotus seed markets both inland and abroad to a greater extent, it is therefore deemed that governmental agencies concerned should pay full attention to this type of industry and to streamline necessary measures accordingly, such as providing technical advices on the plantation and the maintenance of the lotus, the provision of financial sources for the lotus farmers, the promotion of chemical research activities in connection with the lotus seeds, the research on and the invention of machinery for the extraction of the lotus seeds. With such forthcoming efforts, the lotus seeds in future might become an economic seed which provides another source of income for the country.
