Farmers to be given tractors at highly subsidised rate to compensate for chemical ban 

By The Nation

 

Mananya Thaiset

 

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry aims to provide tractors and lawnmowers to farmers and cooperative members to minimise the effects of the planned ban on three hazardous chemicals – Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate, Deputy Minister Mananya Thaiset said.

 

Farmers and cooperative members who want the machines can appeal for 90 per cent of subsidy from the government and 10 per cent from cooperatives to buy the machines and equipment.

 

Some 101,400 members of 169 agricultural cooperatives dealing with corn, sugarcane, cassava, fruits, oil palm and rubber production have shown interest in the campaign.

 

Provincial cooperative offices will on November 29 confirm the number of farmers who need the subsidy and also specify regulations on machine use.

 

Furthermore, the Cooperative Promotion Department will help educate farmers about weed control by using the machines and how to maintain those machines as well.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30378734

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-11-25

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I am really wanting  to see  what tractor  can replace a herbicide !

Surely subsidizing  farm labour  would be  more  effective?

Oh silly  me ! 

The funding would not go to Big Bisnis ! And that tractor  will  not  be "free".

She needs to go.

How many farmers are in Thailand?

Put me down for a lawnmower,can see a golf course coming on.

 

That's truly excellent news that I would never imagined seeing in my lifetime. Years ago there was a number of threads about ways to reduce burning and one of the proposed solutions was to give farmers rotovators etc and to increase the concept of composting, everyone said it would never happen, it looks like we have a start.

6 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

She needs to go.

How many farmers are in Thailand?

Put me down for a lawnmower,can see a golf course coming on.

 

Plenty of national parks to carve out your 18 holes using some of these new tractors.

 

And you could convert them to golf carts when finished.

Our local Kubota dealer has less new tractor sales this year, since he opened up 8 years ago.

 

Here in Isaan the situation is desperate. Poor rice harvest and low fruit yealds.

 

No-one has any money.

Maybe lawnmowers is a translation error? Surely it means weed trimmers. And in that event, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE absolutely no deafening loud 2 stroke motors from China. Can you imagine the countryside full of 100+ decibel weed trimmers running all day every day? I hope Thailand outlaws 2 stroke as quickly as possible and requires 4 stroke which also run cleaner for the environment.

 

20 minutes ago, saengd said:

That's truly excellent news that I would never imagined seeing in my lifetime. Years ago there was a number of threads about ways to reduce burning and one of the proposed solutions was to give farmers rotovators etc and to increase the concept of composting, everyone said it would never happen, it looks like we have a start.

In farming we have an expression called windows,it's all about timing.

And this is not a solution.

Most farmers are poorly educated and entrenched in their ways. If the powers that be fail to create a better understanding and will for change, I expect that many of these heavily subsidized machines will soon be sold to second hand dealerships and the farmers will find a way to continue on with their old methods.

I haven't used the expression "Cockamamie" in a long time but this qualifies.  My wife has hilly land in Phetchabun that would need a tracked tractor if using a slasher....it's that steep in places! Using chemi in a backpack sprayer or running a long hose is far more practical and safe for the workers.

_{At least any initiatives done by the govt is aimed at the producers and workers and flows through whole supply chain. Not the same as western stimulus. Care to bail out big boys, pay a few bonuses, negative rates....}

 

_{As for cutting out chemical usage everyone seems to miss a point. It's dangerous stuff.}

9 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

I haven't used the expression "Cockamamie" in a long time but this qualifies.  My wife has hilly land in Phetchabun that would need a tracked tractor if using a slasher....it's that steep in places! Using chemi in a backpack sprayer or running a long hose is far more practical and safe for the workers.

Same  situation here , pineapples up a  steep  hill, the tractor turns the soil once every 4-5  years and even then its touch and go if they can do it for fear of it  tipping  over. Id  like to know  how the tractor  will get my weeds  out of the pineapples?

Weed  pulling  by hand ? NO ONE wants to do that anymore doesnt  matter what you pay.

Tractors are usually rented per  hour  by local farmers, shared by anyone who  will pay the rate, not many are stupid enough to buy them where it sits idle for most of the time.

They can give us a tractor for free we wouldn't be able to use it. All of our land is too steep. We do use weed cutters for about 4 months straight in the rainy season, but without the glyphosate there is hardly any point. The weeds are back in a week.

11 hours ago, farmerjo said:

She needs to go.

How many farmers are in Thailand?

Put me down for a lawnmower,can see a golf course coming on.

 

I would really like to have a tractor so I could rent it out and increase my income!  A nice Kubota with cab and A/C would suffice.

I don't think they mean tractors in the same way that posters here understand tractors, they are talking about small motorized ploughs I imagine.

Deputy Minister Mananya Thaiset needs to get her Hi-So axx out in the fields pulling weeds for 300 baht a day...

 

They are determined to destroy farming in Thailand..

Hill tractors - Switzerland...  It can be done.  Shouldn't be plowing land that steep, but cutting can be done.  Not the thing for narrow rows in a pineapple field, but could be adapted for high wheels.

 

Can you imagine the outcry from certain militarist quarters if it were Yingluck or Thaksin offering near-free tractors to the farmers? 'Populist policies - off with his and her head!'

 

24 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

Hill tractors - Switzerland...  It can be done.  Shouldn't be plowing land that steep, but cutting can be done.

 

try  adding  in  tons  of  stone  for  my  reality

9 minutes ago, Chazar said:

try  adding  in  tons  of  stone  for  my  reality

Some locations are not suited for conventional cultivation or crops. 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Some 101,400 members of 169 agricultural cooperatives dealing with corn, sugarcane, cassava, fruits, oil palm and rubber production have shown interest in the campaign.

Sell the pick-up honey we got a new ride next year!!!!!

Maybe this is what they're talking about. There'd be a big kickback when buying these. Yeah, I think that's how they'll go.

Then in four or five years most farmers will be heavily in debt as they borrow money to repair the tractors.

 

 

I am looking to buy a tractor and slasher to keep the weeds and grass down between my newly planted cocoa trees, so if they want to subsidise  a tractor to my wife I am all for it.

Thai Tractor......

 

2 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Some locations are not suited for conventional cultivation or crops. 

 

or here durian in utteradit mountains

37 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

Thai Tractor......

 

No bull !

4 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

Hill tractors - Switzerland...  It can be done.  Shouldn't be plowing land that steep, but cutting can be done.  Not the thing for narrow rows in a pineapple field, but could be adapted for high wheels.

 

I would rather do with a brush cutter, much safer.

Here's a free tractor!  Now shut-up as we must figure out other ways to give away tax dollars collected...put the govt further in debt...ensure we win the next election....etc.

Chlorpyriphos is an insecticide so will farmers use the tractors to run over the insects to kill them or chop them up with the mower.