Govt gives Bt1.9bn boost to organic farming
The government will spend Bt1.9 billion from the 2021 budget to boost organic farming in Thailand. The money will fund development of 209 agricultural projects, government deputy spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced on Thursday.
The committee tasked with promoting organic agriculture also endorsed an organic action plan for 2017-2022, she added.
The plan calls for collaboration between seven ministries to achieve three goals for the organic sector: R&D for agriculture, creation of new products and services, and developing markets for the products.
Ratchada said the global market for organic produce is worth more than US$100 billion (Bt3.1 trillion) and is growing at a rate of 20 per cent per year.
The key organic markets are Europe, North America, China, Australia and Southeast Asia. The organic market in Thailand is worth about Bt3 billion annually.
