Govt needs to ramp up its agricultural zoning advice

Protest by farmers in Thailand is not uncommon. The country has seen similar rallies by the growers of not just rubber trees but also rice, pineapples, palm oil, longan, and many more.
The root cause of the problem is that policies and productivity in the agricultural sector are still not good enough.
Let’s look at the rubber sector first. Thailand has nearly 15 million rai of rubber plantations. Of these, just 1.75 million rai are in a zone most suited to growing rubber trees. Paddy fields may fare better in this regard but still not well enough. Of 70 million rai of rice fields, just a little over half – 40 million rai, are in the most suitable areas.
If the government is to blame, it is because agricultural areas have not been divided into zones.
When crops grow in unsuitable areas, farmers need more fertiliser and water, hence pushing up their costs.
As the country’s policy maker, the government needs to address this issue seriously. It needs to look into why the cost of farming is high and why the crop price is low, and explain this to farmers in an easy-to-understand language. It also needs to recommend solutions. Farmers must be informed that under the zoning policy, they can’t cry for help if they’re growing crops not suited to the areas.
For instance, if landowners choose to grow a crop that has little chance of yielding a decent return, then officials should advise them about better options. Such a move would benefit not just farmers but the country as a whole.
In February, Agriculture Minister Yukol Limlaemthong boasted about the farmland-zoning strategy. In his words, this strategy has the power to revolutionise the country’s agricultural sector.
So, why wait?
As per this strategy, the government will offer incentives to farmers who plant the most economically viable crops. Guidelines prepared by the Agriculture Ministry have identified which zones are best for the country’s six key economic crops – rice, rubber, cassava, palm oil, corn and sugarcane.
If these crops are grown in suitable zones, farm productivity will be higher and farmers will enjoy better income.
And if the government can introduce an integrated plan, the farmers will also enjoy lower costs to transport their produce and better access to manufacturing technology that will add value to their goods.
Indeed, there are lots of things the government can do to improve the agricultural sector. But to do this, it needs to cut back on its populist mentality.
Through the rice-pledging scheme that gives up to Bt15,000 per tonne of rice, the ruling Pheu Thai may win the hearts – and votes – of rice farmers. But the cost has allegedly topped a massive Bt700 billion under this administration.
Aside from zoning, the government needs to boost productivity. In regard to rice, measures are needed to improve quality and processing to generate value-added products.
A similar strategy is necessary for other crops, including rubber.
The government may have been able to stop the rubber protests by approving measures costing well over Bt20 billion. But this is not a sustainable solution.
Unless the government comes up with a real, practical solution, farmers will be back protesting sooner rather than later.