Widespread sugarcane burning continues uninterrupted by local authorities

 

 

Burning of sugarcane by farmers in several provinces is increasing airborne pollution, affecting local residents, and officials appear to be powerless or reluctant to intervene to stop the practice.

 

The flouting of an order banning the practice, in effect since last year, has prompted civic groups and media organizations in Phetchabun province to protest the illegal practice which, they claim, is threatening people’s health, especially that of children, and is affecting local businesses.

 

The groups, led by Mr. Pandit Pan-ngern, submitted an open letter to Phetchabun’s governor on January 14th, questioning the competency of officials to address the problem of sugarcane burning. The groups also demanded that number of sugarcane plantations in the province be reduced.

 

“It is fine for someone to make a living honestly, but to make a living in a way which causes disturbance or damage to the other people amounts to a violation of human rights,” Mr. Wisan Kositanon, president of the Cultural Council of Phetchabun province, said on Facebook, adding that the people and media are also against the plan to build a third sugar mill in Huay Yai district.

 

The maximum levels of PM2.5 dust in Muang and Wichien Buri districts were measured by the provincial health office at 112.67 and 126.67 microns on January 12th.

 

Owners of sugarcane plantations have always claimed that they cannot afford the costs of hiring workers to cut the plants and have to resort to burning, which will make the cutting of the canes much easier and save cost. Burned canes, however, fetch lower prices because the burning process reduces the sweetness of the cane.

 

Burning of sugarcane has also become widespread in Sa Kaew province and has been going on for weeks, apparently without any local agencies stepping in to stop the illegal practice.

 

Mr. Kaew Nilla-or, who owns a eucalyptus plantation next to the sugarcane in Khao Chakan district of Sa Kaew, complained to Thai TBS that fire from the sugarcane plantation has destroyed 0.32 hectares of his eucalyptus. He has lodged a complaint with the local police.

 

He said smoke and dust from the burning process have affected the other plants in surrounding areas and threatened people’s health, adding that he has not seen any authorities making any effort to stop the burning.

 

Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/widespread-sugarcane-burning-continues-uninterrupted-by-local-authorities/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-01-20

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10 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Burning of sugarcane by farmers in several provinces is increasing airborne pollution, affecting local residents, and officials appear to be powerless or reluctant to intervene to stop the practice.

to me it all boils down to intelligence , generally lack of it here;

thais do not seem capable of joining the ideas that something i do has general consequences that ultimately affect me and my children

I suggest its more driven by finances, if they can get more money for one than the other they dont focus on the future they focus on eating this week !

Money is way too important here than any loss of life.

8 minutes ago, Liverpudlian said:

Money is way too important here than any loss of life.

Someone lost their life burning sugar cane?

Hoping these farmers are the first to drop dead from the smoke. They don,t seem to care who they are making ill.

You think this is small farmers. How many gallons of E10,E20,E85 do use in a month?

God help us here in Phitsanulok just across the border in Neon Maprang district from Phetchabun.  Driving East about 5pm on 4026 I couldn't see the national park to the North East the smoke is so thick.  It's ridiculous the government does nothing to stop it. 

I posted this in another thread but seems fitting here too.....

 

Outside my gate yesterday (phetchabun), the mountains above the treeline totally obscured.

 

And before all those green plants were grown........

 

 

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

I posted this in another thread but seems fitting here too.....

Outside my gate yesterday (phetchabun), the mountains above the treeline totally obscured.

Chiang Mai is just as bad, and there's no sugar cane to burn here.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

officials appear to be powerless

That has got to be an oxymoron. 

 

"Officials couldn't give a rat's ar se" (as they are probably all too busy chatting on numerous apps) is probably a more appropriate title for this story. 

 

I destinctly remember a taxi driver, who spoke English quite well, telling me a few months ago that the traffic problem will never be fixed in Thailand because "nobody cares in Thailand". His exact words. The first and only time I experienced a Thai telling it like it really is. 

I think the same could be said here, too. 

 

 

 

A comment from a Richard Barrow thread. It says all.

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

You think this is small farmers. How many gallons of E10,E20,E85 do use in a month?

Glad some one else knows what the molasses goes for ,before gashole arrived our local mill was just a small mill never a problem ,since gashole has arrived the out put has gone up 3 fold at least ,and they now have they own plant to make  ethanol alcohol .

Burning will continue,  the government will not do any thing real to stop it ,make a lot of noise yes ,they will say for every truck load  of ethanol alcohol  leaving  our local mill ,that will be a few thousand baht less spent on expensive imported crud oil ,or imported fuel ,and the way this government is spending money they need all the help they can get .

Coming from Queensland I can understand why they burn, labour costs money, it used to be the standard method when harvesting cane until machinery cut out the need for labour. Over the last decade or so burning has disappeared, leaving the trash on the ground has saved countless litres of water and to the cane cockie water is money. 
Speaking to my wife’s relatives who still burn they cannot or maybe will not change their methods without enforcement or monetary incentives, like banging my head against a brick wall. 

46 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Yeap, start living more now because the pollution will shorten your life.

 

When you’re dead, you don’t know you’re dead. It’s only painful and difficult for others. The same applies when you are stupid, Rumak. 

I've just looked him up - he's a farmer - maybe he is part of the problem ?

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

questioning the competency of officials to address the problem of sugarcane burning.

 

Glad to see the government's NON-enforcement campaign is coming along so wonderfully.... 

My wife's uncle successfully sued a neighboring cane farmer for burning his adjacent field down (I don't remember the uncle's crop). As a proactive measure I would put everyone around you on legal notice as an attempt to hinder the practice near you? Just a thought. 

12 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

I've just looked him up - he's a farmer - maybe he is part of the problem ?

guess some of you don't know the sultan of satire.   ok ok,  it was pretty believable   ????

 

here is my recent post from another thread (negative vibes) .    I won't be around tomorrow to see all the people who called me an idiot .   so will share now :

 

 

As others have noted,  your post is a simple but IMO fairly accurate account of the "progress" 

we call globalization.   I have been finding , then leaving nice locations for the last 40 years as

they grew into larger and less attractive places for me to live.   Northern Thailand did seem like

paradise 30 years ago.  By moving out of CM  to a rural area 70 km away I have discovered a place not THAT different from my early memories.   Simple life and friendly locals.  Large fried rice , with a smile, for 30 baht.   Homegrown lettuce and tomatoes.  Yesterday my great 12 year old Honda dream down to the local shop, new inner tube and headlight bulb.  Installed while we joke about something inane instead of the cost of condos or cappuchinos.  Fifteen minutes, job done, 200 baht.  I almost felt guilty, they charged me so little. 

Tonight as I type about my fairly idyllic retirement my nose suddenly starts sneezing. I smell smoke (and i am inside the house).   As much as I try not to the thought comes into my head,

" there's always something !"    I have had my adventures in life. Many.  And have moved 20 times in 40 years.   I don't really want to move again.   What to do ??? 

Edited January 20, 20206 yr by rumak

6 minutes ago, rumak said:

guess some of you don't know the sultan of satire.   ok ok,  it was pretty believable   ????

 

here is my recent post from another thread (negative vibes) .    I won't be around tomorrow to see all the people who called me an idiot .   so will share now :

 

 

As others have noted,  your post is a simple but IMO fairly accurate account of the "progress" 

we call globalization.   I have been finding , then leaving nice locations for the last 40 years as

they grew into larger and less attractive places for me to live.   Northern Thailand did seem like

paradise 30 years ago.  By moving out of CM  to a rural area 70 km away I have discovered a place not THAT different from my early memories.   Simple life and friendly locals.  Large fried rice , with a smile, for 30 baht.   Homegrown lettuce and tomatoes.  Yesterday my great 12 year old Honda dream down to the local shop, new inner tube and headlight bulb.  Installed while we joke about something inane instead of the cost of condos or cappuchinos.  Fifteen minutes, job done, 200 baht.  I almost felt guilty, they charged me so little. 

Tonight as I type about my fairly idyllic retirement my nose suddenly starts sneezing.  I smell smoke (and i am inside the house).   As much as I try not to the thought comes into my head,

" there's always something !"    I have had my adventures in life. Many.  And have moved 20 times in 40 years.   I don't really want to move again.   What to do ??? 

Thanks for the clarification. It was well done let's hope a solution can be found for everybody's sake. There was an old fella who everybody listened to when he needed to make a point but sadly he's long gone now. My last hope is the rich really don't want to live like this and it's their air and country as well for the sake of a few ignorant, selfish and stupid farmers. 

Edited January 20, 20206 yr by URMySunshine

3 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

Thanks for the clarification. It was well done let's hope a solution can be found for everybody's sake. There was an old fella who everybody listened to when he needed to make a point but sadly he's long gone now. My last hope is the rich really don't want to live like this and it's their air and country as well for the sake of a few ignorant, selfish and stupid farmers. 

type this in for AQI.     then on search go to  hua hin    or  prachuap kk  or  khon kaen  

it's everywhere !      https://www.airvisual.com/thailand/chiang-mai

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

to me it all boils down to intelligence , generally lack of it here;

Substitute money for "intelligence" & your spot on!

Most farmers would be the first to admit their "intelligence" was not of the highest order, with little to no education they never really had a chance though, bear that in mind & don't look for any improvement with the next generation, the education will not get any better, the "government will make sure of that! 

We have five rai of land that has been used for rice farming, I just spent 80000 baht on the farm for a solar powered water supply and irrigation system to get around the drought problem. No more rice growing, not on my farm 55. Our dam is dry, and I told the family not to burn last years rice stubble as I wanted to plough it back into the dirt and use some of it for mulch. No, the silly buggers burnt it because a tractor costs big money to work the soil. I felt like I was in a nut house.

 

Now the father in law is scrounging the same kind of stubble he burnt for mulch for the market garden.

 

The really stupid part of this story is that FIL lit the fire at about midday and burnt another 25 rai on adjoining properties. 

 

I sat at home watching the show. No one has complained, at least not that I have heard of. 

4 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

and officials appear to be powerless or reluctant

I think we can guess which one

In my area very few farmers burn their sugar.

It is the contractors that buy the standing sugar whom usually have 1000's of rai to complete before the mills close.

But feel free to tarnish all the farmers with the same brush.

2 minutes ago, sherwood said:

The really stupid part of this story is that FIL lit the fire at about midday and burnt another 25 rai on adjoining properties. 

Ha ha!! I just posted on this happening. 

4 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

Ha ha!! I just posted on this happening. 

Did not see your post mate and yes,it happens.

A snowstorms chance in Hell I will be paying compo to anyone. I told em but they never listen,

Saw quite a bit of burning and could smell it inside bus coming back from mae sai today.....cough.

I think the tourist beach smokers are responsible for the poor air quality and not the local farmers.

Edited January 20, 20206 yr by Destiny1990

I repeat to no avail, Thailand has a legislative apparatus that churns out laws and decrees continuously, but they do not take into account that the control system does not work at all!
The important thing is to have laws!

13 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Someone lost their life burning sugar cane?

Try breathing in CM and heavily-smoke infected areas. Yes ppl DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!