BANGKOK, 27 November 2018 (NNT) - Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has launched a campaign to encourage farmers to plant corn instead of off-season rice, supporting water-efficient crops to cope with drought.

Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Grisada Boonrach , chaired a meeting between agencies under his ministry to support the planting of corn in 33 target provinces.

He instructed the Department of Agriculture Extension to create a demonstration corn farm as a case study in planting corn for livestock feed, collaborating with the Thai Feed Mill Association on quality control. He also instructed the Royal Irrigation Department to manage water in the program’s farming areas, ministry officials to ensure fair purchase deals between farmers and private companies and agricultural cooperatives to facilitate trade hubs.

Mr Grisada expressed his confidence that yields from the program will be raised and invited farmers to apply to the program between now and January 15th next year. The government is to provide participants with a 0.01 annual interest rate loan of 2,000 baht per 0.16 hectares (1 Rai) not exceeding 30,000 baht.

Those already enrolled in the program can download the mobile application "Farm Book" to update their status.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Govt supporting corn in place of off-season rice