Govt unveils assistance measures for farmers
Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to extend assistance to farmers in two phases - short- and mid-and-long term.
The short-term phase will involve measures designed to prepare farmers for the upcoming drought season in an expected two to three months.
Somkid advised the ministry to work with the Ministry of Interior and use the 882 agricultural learning centres nationwide to advise farmers on how they can boost their income.
Agriculturists and irrigation experts will help farmers prepare for the drought by digging wells and building facilities to dry crops. The government has allocated a budget to support this assistance.
Somkid admitted that the government could not afford to extend cash support to farmers forever.
He said that it was better to assist farmers so they could better cope with tough times and earn adequate income.
The mid-and-long term policy focuses on agricultural zoning to boost farming productivity and crop yields, and will be extended to other goods in a bid to increase the value of agricultural goods.
The agricultural zoning is not meant to force farmers to stop growing rice, but to assist them in growing other crops which will help boost revenue in the future, Somkid said.
The government advised farmers to form groups in order to engage in farming matters.
The government said it would provide the necessary farming tools and technology to help farmers boost the value of their crops.
It will use money obtained from the recent 4G auction to help develop the agricultural sector and hopefully boost provincial economies.
As for fisheries, the Department of Fisheries will attempt to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, Somkid said.
The agricultural sector accounts for 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, meaning it is necessary to add value to the crops via agro-industries and agro-tourism, Somkid added.
