Transforming the Thai Agricultural Sector into a Green Industry; Mitr Phol Indicates "Modern Farming" is the Answer

When the rain starts to subside and the cold season begins, many Thais may notice some changes in weather around them. On some days, their surroundings are dim, similar to the towns blanketed by mist. But the truth is most of their mornings are not greeted by mist, but with an unnatural haze, followed by the latest news about PM2.5 pollution reaching unsafe levels in several provinces in the country. Because this particulate matter poses numerous health risks, society has collectively become more aware of the current situation, with representative institutions from the public and private sector joining forces to develop policies and standards to help control and prevent the PM2.5 situation from worsening.

Although the main causes of PM2.5 pollution in metropolitan areas are emissions from road traffic and construction, in provincial areas, it is a matter of burning waste in open areas and agricultural burning. Combined with a lack of ventilation and mild winds in the national climate, dust particle buildup soon follows. Nevertheless, the agricultural industry is normally identified as one of the key contributors to Thailand's increased PM2.5 pollution in the past and present, as pre-harvest burning?mostly of rice straw, corn and sugarcane?and biomass burning both are well-known and documented causes.

Mr. Buntoeng Vongkusolkit, Chairman of Mitr Phol Group, said in regards to this crucial issue that, "At present, Thailand is facing a major labor shortage in the agricultural sector, which in some cases results in farmers burning off agricultural materials during harvesting season. These include rice straw?of which Thailand has over 60 million rai of land for rice farming, corn?of which there is around 6.53 million rai of land for planting corn for feeding livestock, and sugarcane, of which covers 11.95 million rai of the country's land. All of this is done so that farmers may harvest all the crops in time. However, the downside is that it directly affects the quality of the produce and the soil, the latter of which is a crucial component to growing high-quality, healthy crops.

Thus, representatives from many sectors have started initiatives to help solve this issue, and I have observed that we can work together to curb agricultural burning through these 4 ways, which are

Replacing traditional farming practices with modern farming methods - This starts from the earliest stage of planting, growing and eventually harvesting, where the use of innovative products, technology and agricultural machinery?both mid-sized and smaller-scale?are used to replace human labor to increase overall efficiency. This step is also very cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. For sugarcane harvesting, for instance, Mitr Phol Group has encouraged farmers to implement new cane farming practices through the "Mitr Phol ModernFarm" initiative, as of the last 5-6 years. These efforts have helped decrease the total amount of burnt sugarcane used by Mitr Phol Group; For example, the Mitr Phu Khieo sugar mill in Chaiyaphum province has a fresh sugarcane proportion of 99%.

Supporting Continuous Knowledge Sharing to Farmers - We must raise awareness for the agricultural community to understand that they will be the main benefactors of sustainable farming that is safe for the environment. Lending a helping hand to maintain an ecological balance and decrease the use of agricultural chemicals will help Thai farmers continue to work sustainably. This also includes transferring knowledge and supporting the government's low-interest loan policy to support farmers looking to buy agricultural machinery, such as Sugarcane Harvesters, Sugarcane Leaf Pruning machine, Square Balers and Rotary Tiller for Mixing Sugarcane Leaf to prepare organic matter to fertilize soil, for instance.

Increasing the value of biomass from agricultural waste - Such biomass comes from sugarcane leaves and rice straw. Aside from being used to cover up soil to prevent weeds from growing, to maintain soil moisture and act as supplementary organic matter for the soil, this leftover waste can be converted into biomass energy, which is a clean energy that can replace the use of fossil fuels. Once there is widespread awareness of biomass' value among the farming community, farmers can see even more opportunities to increase their income, job opportunities and step away from burning practices.

Integrating cooperative efforts from all sectors together - This concerns the efforts of government institutions such as the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Energy, as well as local institutions, the private sector and farmers themselves. If there is a strong, collective integration of these efforts where every party has a common understanding in terms of law enforcement and the monitoring of sugarcane burning, Thailand will be able to drive positive changes in its economy while increasing sustainable farming practices. For instance, government and private institutions have joined forces to launch anti sugarcane-burning campaigns, as the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board has introduced a policy for mills to use a fresh sugarcane proportion of no less than 80% in this cropping season. Given these developments, Mitr Phol Group expects that for this sugarcane crushing season, it will be able to meet this policy, despite a present lack in labor workers in the agricultural field and the current COVID-19 situation."

"I can see that modern farming is the huge turning point we need to increase efficiency in the Thai agricultural sector to compete on a global scale, both in terms of quality and quantity or yield. This is why we have to support this shift in mindset needed among farmers to start using modern farming practices. They will have to start using up-to date administrative processes and technology, as well as adopt environmentally-sustainable practices. If they do not make these changes today, it will not only be a matter of increased air pollution. The agricultural sector will also have to suffer droughts and floods as a direct result of global warming and fluctuating climates. And as the agricultural industry becomes more challenging on a global scale, all these developments can affect the income levels and product quality of all who are involved," Mr. Buntoeng said in conclusion.

For the 2020-2021 cropping season, Mitr Phol Group's sugar mills in the provinces of Suphan Buri,Sing Buri, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Kalasin, Loei and Amnat-Charoen have issued buying prices for sugarcane leaves and rice straw at 1,000 baht per ton (factory price only), in an effort to convert the waste into biomass energy. The buying period spans from December 1, 2020 - 15 March 2021. The goal of this year's campaign is to purchase 380,000 tons of cane leaves and rice straw from farmers, valued at around 380 million baht. This is considered an effort to support local businesses, local employment and increase income for farmers, with the ultimate benefit of increasing environmental sustainability while decreasing the government's economic burden.