Thai govt needs to ramp up its agricultural zoning advice

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Govt needs to ramp up its agricultural zoning advice
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- RUBBER FARMERS have been staging loud protests over recent weeks to demand the government shore up the price of their produce. They need help from the government but they also have to learn to stand on their own feet, as such assistance cannot stay forever.

Protest by farmers in Thailand is not uncommon. The country has seen similar rallies by the growers of not just rubber trees but also rice, pineapples, palm oil, longan, and many more.

The root cause of the problem is that policies and productivity in the agricultural sector are still not good enough.

Let's look at the rubber sector first. Thailand has nearly 15 million rai of rubber plantations. Of these, just 1.75 million rai are in a zone most suited to growing rubber trees. Paddy fields may fare better in this regard but still not well enough. Of 70 million rai of rice fields, just a little over half - 40 million rai, are in the most suitable areas.

If the government is to blame, it is because agricultural areas have not been divided into zones.

When crops grow in unsuitable areas, farmers need more fertiliser and water, hence pushing up their costs.

As the country's policy maker, the government needs to address this issue seriously. It needs to look into why the cost of farming is high and why the crop price is low, and explain this to farmers in an easy-to-understand language. It also needs to recommend solutions. Farmers must be informed that under the zoning policy, they can't cry for help if they're growing crops not suited to the areas.

For instance, if landowners choose to grow a crop that has little chance of yielding a decent return, then officials should advise them about better options. Such a move would benefit not just farmers but the country as a whole.

In February, Agriculture Minister Yukol Limlaemthong boasted about the farmland-zoning strategy. In his words, this strategy has the power to revolutionise the country's agricultural sector.

So, why wait?

As per this strategy, the government will offer incentives to farmers who plant the most economically viable crops. Guidelines prepared by the Agriculture Ministry have identified which zones are best for the country's six key economic crops - rice, rubber, cassava, palm oil, corn and sugarcane.

If these crops are grown in suitable zones, farm productivity will be higher and farmers will enjoy better income.

And if the government can introduce an integrated plan, the farmers will also enjoy lower costs to transport their produce and better access to manufacturing technology that will add value to their goods.

Indeed, there are lots of things the government can do to improve the agricultural sector. But to do this, it needs to cut back on its populist mentality.

Through the rice-pledging scheme that gives up to Bt15,000 per tonne of rice, the ruling Pheu Thai may win the hearts - and votes - of rice farmers. But the cost has allegedly topped a massive Bt700 billion under this administration.

Aside from zoning, the government needs to boost productivity. In regard to rice, measures are needed to improve quality and processing to generate value-added products.

A similar strategy is necessary for other crops, including rubber.

The government may have been able to stop the rubber protests by approving measures costing well over Bt20 billion. But this is not a sustainable solution.

Unless the government comes up with a real, practical solution, farmers will be back protesting sooner rather than later.


-- The Nation 2013-09-17

[worgeordie]

The Government its self promoted growing rubber trees in the

North and Issan,places that never grew rubber before,now that

an oversupply has been created,due to more farmers growing

it and a decline in demand especially from China, the Government

wants to change the goal posts.

regards Worgeordie

[ggold]

The Government its self promoted growing rubber trees in the

North and Issan,places that never grew rubber before,now that

an oversupply has been created,due to more farmers growing

it and a decline in demand especially from China, the Government

wants to change the goal posts.

regards Worgeordie

So true, In our village this year they planted over 50,000 rubber trees with money the government gave them. And that is only one village of the four villages in the area. Not to mention the 100,000's of trees already producing rubber here.

the only good thing about this is, it reduces the amount of land that is slashed and burned each year.

Edited September 17, 2013 by ggold

[retell]

The Government its self promoted growing rubber trees in the

North and Issan,places that never grew rubber before,now that

an oversupply has been created,due to more farmers growing

it and a decline in demand especially from China, the Government

wants to change the goal posts.

regards Worgeordie

So true, In our village this year they planted over 50,000 rubber trees with money the government gave them. And that is only one village of the four villages in the area. Not to mention the 100,000's of trees already producing rubber here.

the only good thing about this is, it reduces the amount of land that is slashed and burned each year.

agree with that hate the burning sugarcane fields and the trucks without a proper exaust goin on all night long loaded so full they barely can climb a 2% hill in first gear full throttle

rubber fields are alot nicer to look at downside is alot of mozzies

[indyuk]

I suspect that close attention to the educational needs of Thai farmers could work wonders for Thailand's agriculture. Farmer's need to understand the latest technology in assessing the economic viability of growing any specific crop on their land.

[Bkungbank]

Increase tax in alcohol burden some farmers, that's why.

[slapout]

Farmers have to work with and take what mother nature provides or with holds. The farmers know what will work best in their area, if they have been able to live there for successive generations.The government beauricrats have purchases large blocks of land holdings and want to plant/raise what they see as the most return on their investment.

To even propose that the farming sector should be set up in zones, proposed in a country where burning, city zoneing, use of government supplied irrigation allotments, etc are ignored, not enforced, and in many cases so full of loopholes that no one knows what the orginal intent, nor subsquent interpation means.

Thailand already has seen that the only real compentance most of the civil servants have is the field of self enrichment via any means. They have a hard time making plans for the yearly monsoon season, much less the droughts, and certainly soil type, forest losses, and then throw in pollution. You might as well start trying to cut down the road fatilities, while the RTP are on the payroll.