Debt-ridden farmers urged to participate in Tree Bank scheme
A Si Sa Ket seminar attended by representatives from “Sufficiency Economy” communities encouraged farmers to take advantage of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC)’s Tree Bank scheme to earn extra income and repay their debts.
During the seminar held from Friday to Sunday at the Sathan Thamma Don Kaew-Huai Wa in Huai Thap Than district, Tree Bank project manager Sawai Saengsawang said farmers’ per capita debts were the world’s fifth highest.
“Sufficiency Economy” communities discussed the Tree Bank project as a possible solution.
Sawai, along with BAAC Si Sa Ket branch office director Suwimol On-in and Si Sa Ket Forestry Office head Chaun Teerawuthi-udom, urged farmers to join the scheme, which would earn extra income and also contribute to green spaces and conserve the environment.
Since 2009, the BAAC has conducted the project, which has 597 Tree Bank branches across the country and more than three million trees under cultivation.
The project requires members to cultivate trees on their properties and in a community of at least 30 members.
The trees’ growth and annual rings are measured, with farmers paid a limited income for their cultivation.
