Govt plan to build more sugar factories poses threat to environment, says expert

By The Nation

 

 

An academic has warned that the government’s plan to build more sugar factories and biomass power plants may worsen air quality by releasing more particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM 2.5).

 

 

Assoc Prof Sataporn Roengtam, an academic at Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, said that the toxic haze in areas nationwide caused by the burning of crops, especially in the northeastern region where people burn sugarcane before cutting them for storage in factories, was causing a large amount of dust to spread throughout the area.

 

The government’s plan to build another 28 sugar factories with biomass power plants and one bio-hub in the northeastern region will make the situation more severe because the government has to expand the sugarcane plantation area of 7.75 million rai to increase production.

 

 

“The dust caused by the burning of sugarcane will hurt people’s health,” he warned, adding, “Although the government has prohibited such activities, farmers will choose to burn their fields instead of using labour to cut sugarcane due to cost advantages and labour shortage.”

 

He explained that currently there are 20 sugar factories and 5.54 million rai of sugarcane plantations, which generate biomass power of 631 megawatts and produce ethanol of 1.4 million litres a day.

 

“The current sugarcane production is not enough to feed the existing factories, which will affect people’s lives during the grinding season,” he said.

 

 

He cited the case of a sugar factory in Ban Phue district in Udon Thani province with a production capacity of approximately 24,000 sugarcanes a day, which may require 360,000 rai of sugarcane plantation area, or equal to half of the whole district area.

 

“The study indicated that 20 per cent of the sugarcane plantation area came from clearing forests,” he said. “If this case occurs in other areas, the northeastern region will lose 432,000 rai of forest, equivalent to the Phu Phan National Park of approximately 415,439 rai.”

 

He suggested that the government zone the area for planting sugarcane, which will not affect the ecosystem, including people’s health.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381056

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-26

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16 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Govt plan to build more sugar factories poses threat to environment, says expert

Not forgetting the threat to the population's health by increasing sugar consumption.

I can't really believe this:

16 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He suggested that the government zone the area for planting sugarcane, which will not affect the ecosystem, including people’s health

 

Edited January 26, 20206 yr by bluesofa
grammar

15 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

“The study indicated that 20 per cent of the sugarcane plantation area came from clearing forests,” he said. “If this case occurs in other areas, the northeastern region will lose 432,000 rai of forest,

Don't the "authorities" know that deforestation greatly increases the risk of flooding?
But they don't care; they do not live in risk areas;
it's good for the beggars, the peasants, the  little people ...

And all that to run cars and trucks;
double penalty for the population:
pollution by making ethanol and still pollution by using it ..

Good,more factories and shorten the cutting season to 6 weeks.

Mid Feb to April. 

The government builds more sugar factories, or just subsidizes them?  Maybe just condemn land, build water and electric service, widen roads and etc. at taxpayer expense.  I'm sure there are nice payoff opportunities there.

 

But, come on, more than double the number of factories?  I guess if they can't double the number of tourists every few years they have to double something.  Impatient folks, eh?

Knew it and this people is why we cant breath. Great job Thailand!!

Forget tourism then and forget cheap electric cars. This place is completely backwards.

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

The government builds more sugar factories, or just subsidizes them?  Maybe just condemn land, build water and electric service, widen roads and etc. at taxpayer expense.  I'm sure there are nice payoff opportunities there.

 

But, come on, more than double the number of factories?  I guess if they can't double the number of tourists every few years they have to double something.  Impatient folks, eh?

 

They wouldn't be involved if there wouldn't be money involved for them, after all we are in thailand right.

 

 

So to get that straight we aren't allowed to move a single teak tree on OUR OWN LAND but they can remove hundreds of thousands of rai of forrest and destroy everything, am i getting that right? Yeah i think i do.... 

 

 

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He suggested that the government zone the area for planting sugarcane, which will not affect the ecosystem, including people’s health.

And zone in the sky where the smoke is allowed.

Just now, RotBenz8888 said:

And zone in the sky where the smoke is allowed.

There is no smoke, only smoke and mirrors. This government is trading in the health of its population for Yuans from its main export market.

why the government has to put money into this ?  what about the sugar GIANTS that make billions and should be partially responsible

 

sugar KILLS but most you sheeple do not want to hear that

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“The current sugarcane production is not enough to feed the existing factories, which will affect people’s lives during the grinding season,”

Nobody crunched the numbers.  They just saw dollar signs.  Hand it to the government to start a non sustainable business.  Why are they in the sugar business anyway? 

Bravo, it is exactly what you need in Thailand, a sugar cane cultivation, all those who do not die of sugar will be eliminated from the discharges of the so clean sugar factories!

Bye bye Thailand ???? you had a good run.  Too bad you are going backwards.

Edited January 26, 20206 yr by Redline

3 hours ago, justin case said:

why the government has to put money into this ?  what about the sugar GIANTS that make billions and should be partially responsible

 

sugar KILLS but most you sheeple do not want to hear that

Saying sugar kills is like saying guns kill guns don't kill people kill sugar don't kill over consumption kills over consumption of anything can cause health problems

8 hours ago, Fred white said:

Saying sugar kills is like saying guns kill guns don't kill people kill sugar don't kill over consumption kills over consumption of anything can cause health problems

No, that's a moronic analogy at best. Like apples and oranges, really. I remember when I first came to Thailand pre 711, you'd be hard pressed to find a fat Thai. I remember I counted one in all of Udon Thani! Fortunately most Thais don't have unlimited access to a guns like they do sugar and junk food. ????

Edited January 26, 20206 yr by mickey rat

Thai do not give a xxxt!

 

Whilst other nations are addressing global warming, Thailand continue to pollute and get away with it!!

 

Thai do what the xxxk they like and careless about the impact they force onto others plus your and my home, namely this planet.

On 1/26/2020 at 7:01 AM, bluesofa said:

Not forgetting the threat to the population's health by increasing sugar consumption.

I can't really believe this:

 

Yes indeed, possible increase in obesity among the younger generation and resulting increases in Type 2 Diabetes!

4 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes indeed, possible increase in obesity among the younger generation and resulting increases in Type 2 Diabetes!

"Per capita and on average, a Thai individual consumes up to 20% of total energy from added free sugar."

source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28422120

 

On 1/26/2020 at 6:45 AM, rooster59 said:

The government’s plan to build another 28 sugar factories with biomass power plants and one bio-hub in the northeastern region will make the situation more severe because the government has to expand the sugarcane plantation area of 7.75 million rai to increase production.

Some things don't "add up."

Global sugar surplus and high baht value have held Thai exports flat.

• So to the farmer, the only reason to increase production in the near term is to feed biomass power plants that would consume the surplus and likely have to pay farmers a sustainable income - government subsidies required for farmer to get above market price (similar to Prayut's rubber pledge program)?

Then let's say the global surplus dissipates and the baht depreciates to justify an increase in sugar exports. As a result, the Thai increased sugar crops become surplus domestically and are instead exported for the higher global prices.

• The biomass plant that relied on increased domestic supply loses its fuel source - plant shuts down and investors (agricultural communities included?) lose their equity and possibly burdened with unsustainable debt.

In a free enterprise market, if an enterprise such as a biomass power plant can be sustained in a free marketplace,  the government needn't have/shouldn't have any involvement in the capitalization and operation of the biomass power plants; Thai taxpayers needn't be put at risk.