Factors affecting economic profits of stocker cattle farming business in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand

The stocker cattle farming business is an essential component of the cattle production system for farmers in Thailand. Raising stocker cattle independently allows for a reduction in costs related to fattening. This research aimed to investigate the factors influencing the economic profits of farmers in SCFB.The study was carried out in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. Data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire through faceto-face interviews with 390 stocker cattle farmers supplying cattle to the Phon Yang Kham Livestock Cooperative Limited in Sakon Nakhon. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The results indicated that the majority of the farmers were male, with an average age of 52.78 years and 11.78 years of experience in stocker cattle farming.During an 18-month production period, farmers realized cash profits amounting to 73.43 percent of the total production cost per cattle, whereas the economic profit value was negative.The study identified five factors that significantly impacted the economic profits of SCFB: membership in the association (MA), cattle herd size (CS), feed cost (FC), labor cost (LBC), and selling price (SP). This study provides essential insights into the factors affecting the economic profits of SCFB, which should be considered in policy design aimed at assisting farmers in optimizing stocker cattle farming for profit.