Subsidy approved to discourage sugarcane farmers from burning canes

[snoop1130]

 

The Cabinet decided today to grant 120 baht in subsidy for each tonne of cut raw sugarcane, as an incentive to discourage farmers from burning the cane to facilitate harvesting, which increases PM2.5 air pollution.

 

Deputy Industry Minister Pimpatra Wichaikul said today that as many as 40,000 sugarcane farmers are expected to join the program, which is due to start in January, with the new sugarcane milling season.

 

While the burning of cane makes them easier to cut, the sugar content is reduced and the farmers fetch lower prices for their produce.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-12-04

 

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[kickstart]

I live in a big sugar cane area and they is very, very little burning, it is all like in the op's photo cane is cut by machine and has been for the past 4-5 years .

If the government wants to help cane farmers from burning, they crop how about subsidizing cane harvesters, problem is they are secondhand imports costing upwards of 2 million baht each, why to expensive for most farmers.

So, make them cheaper then  farmers can afford to buy them, then the big growers will contract out and cut and haul the cane for the smaller farmers ,last year it was being cut and hauled to the mill for 360/baht ton. 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Deputy Industry Minister Pimpatra Wichaikul said today that as many as 40,000 sugarcane farmers are expected to join the program, which is due to start in January, with the new sugarcane milling season

I work all night, I work all day to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad?
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world

[edwinchester]

Just make it <deleted> illegal for the processing factories to buy burnt cane. There problem solved overnight.

[Skipalongcassidy]

Unfortunately Thais typically are not more motivated by money than they are by what is easier to do... burning is easier and we have always done it that way will win out until the government gets serious about enforcing a ban on burning... and really wants to join the 21st century.

[PETERTHEEATER]

If burning standing cane decreases the sugar content then unburnt cane yields more sugar which should offset the cost of growers paying a thirdparty to cut it with machine. So, on paper it seems like a winner for the grower provided they take the subsidy.

Something tells me it's not that simple.....

Edited December 5, 2023 by PETERTHEEATER

[RandolphGB]

Every problem in Thailand is due to laziness. This is just another example. It's easier to burn sugar cane husks than harvest them in tact. It's easy for the government to offer subsidies then enforce laws correctly. 

 

 

[edwinchester]

3 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

If burning standing cane decreases the sugar content then unburnt cane yields more sugar which should offset the cost of growers paying a thirdparty to cut it with machine. So, on paper it seems like a winner for the grower provided they take the subsidy.

Something tells me it's not that simple.....

Many cane growers want to harvest their cane unburnt. The cane cutters are paid per rai cut so want to get it cut as quickly as possible and move onto the next job so they prefer burnt cane.

One of wifeys friends grows sugarcane and wants to cut it unburnt as she earns more that way. 2 years ago the cutting team didn't want the aggravation of cutting it unburnt but reluctantly agreed. The night before her field was due to be cut all her cane mysteriously burst into flame. The cane team got their way and she lost money. Last year she managed to negotiate the services of a mechanical harvester but there are not yet enough to go round and some fields are too small to make it worthwhile for the combine owner to do the work.

[PETERTHEEATER]

44 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Many cane growers want to harvest their cane unburnt. The cane cutters are paid per rai cut so want to get it cut as quickly as possible and move onto the next job so they prefer burnt cane.

One of wifeys friends grows sugarcane and wants to cut it unburnt as she earns more that way. 2 years ago the cutting team didn't want the aggravation of cutting it unburnt but reluctantly agreed. The night before her field was due to be cut all her cane mysteriously burst into flame. The cane team got their way and she lost money. Last year she managed to negotiate the services of a mechanical harvester but there are not yet enough to go round and some fields are too small to make it worthwhile for the combine owner to do the work.

Thanks Ed, different growers face different problems. Time will tell if the current strategy to pay subsidies translates into lower pollution.

[Al BB]

16 hours ago, kickstart said:

I live in a big sugar cane area and they is very, very little burning, it is all like in the op's photo cane is cut by machine and has been for the past 4-5 years .

If the government wants to help cane farmers from burning, they crop how about subsidizing cane harvesters, problem is they are secondhand imports costing upwards of 2 million baht each, why to expensive for most farmers.

So, make them cheaper then  farmers can afford to buy them, then the big growers will contract out and cut and haul the cane for the smaller farmers ,last year it was being cut and hauled to the mill for 360/baht ton. 

The Gov lifted the Import Duty on Sugar Cane Harvesters which is a help, BUT, wouldn't the Purchase of more be better than buying Subs , Frigates and Jet Fighters ?  As a footnote; This Gov seems to have Billions and Billions of Baht available for Projects, some of which, for one reason or another, will probably never see the light of day.  IMO,  the Financial implications of buying more Harvesters to loan, let or purchase are few. But as mentioned here, different grower face different problems. 

[xtrnuno41]

Why every sugar cane grower should have their own machine?

You can set up a coop (government controlled?) in cutting, so more growers use the machine, efficient.

Government to subsidize such machines in a company.

You can even move it around and have more growers use the machine.

As growers dont have that money to buy such a machine them selves.

 

In another countries you have combines for grain, to rent. Companies owing those combines will cut.

So Thailand can go there, it sure helps to reduce pollution. At first government to step in and set up.

Maybe later in other business constructions.

King Bhumibol provided 2 wheel tractors for the farmers once.

Maybe the man who owns 38 airplanes, 300 cars, 52 boats can sell some and invest in the farmers as well.

[kickstart]

You are a cane cutter ,you get to the field( this photo was taken 4 years ago),at 7.00 am to cut cane ,which photo would you cut ? as has been said cane is cut piece work ,not per rie in our area, but per Bundel cut last price I heard was 1-1.40 baht/ bundel, a bundle has 10 cane storks, and they have to be tied up, they use unburnt leaves, a good cuter can do 300 bundles in a day.

If the cane was not burnt the grower would have to pay more so the cutters can make some money, and cutter are getting more difficult to find each year.

Good point about field size in my area most fields are 15 rie plus more than enough for a machine   to work in 

The sugar content of burnt cane is only a bit less than unburnt cane so saying not burning cane is more cost effective is not right, and as someone said, and it is a problem in my area, is the queue waiting for the machine to arrive can be long ,some growers cannot wait especially near the end of the season when the date for the mill to close is getting near ,hence burning and getting cutters in 

PS for the thinking, we know a cane grower he brought a machine, he has 500 rie a fair spread, talking to him last year he had already cut about 350 rie ,he had already spent 90 000 baht on diesel for the machine, that 250 hp engine use a lot of fuel. cost of a box of matches??

[Puccini]

That's great, a subsidy for people not to commit criminal acts. 

 

Now, I'm waiting for the announcement of a susidy for not murdering people, so that I can apply for it.

[rwill]

What I see around where I live.  In Ratchaburi they use machines to harvest the sugar cane.  But after the fields are harvested they burn them, just like rice fields.

But when driving thru Kanchanaburi I see the sugar cane in trucks that is already burnt.