The Cabinet has approved a budget of 5.175 billion baht to support sugarcane farmers in harvesting fresh sugarcane, aiming to reduce PM2.5 pollution. This initiative is set for the 2024/2025 production season.
According to government spokesperson Karam Phonpornklang, the Ministry of Industry is tasked with implementing the measures, focusing specifically on motivating farmers to harvest 100% quality fresh sugarcane. Initially, funds will be sourced from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
The Ministry of Industry is also assigned to explore paying farmers through a state application, aligning with the government’s efforts to facilitate public access to government services.
Additionally, a plan will be developed to support farmers in transitioning to non-burning harvesting methods sustainably, ensuring it doesn’t become a future budget burden.
It is suggested that the BAAC update cost details related to these motivational measures for harvesting quality fresh sugarcane, covering the 5.175 billion baht (US$158 million) budget. This includes compensating the financial costs at the BAAC’s quarterly financial cost rate plus one.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and the BAAC have been entrusted with refining the details required by government agencies to ensure the effective execution of this initiative, reported KhaoSod.
Meanwhile, a 53 year old man was arrested in Buriram’s Mueang district for setting fire to a sugarcane field, damaging over 30 rai with losses estimated in the hundreds of thousands of baht.
The suspect, Sombat, said alcohol and stress from a marital dispute affected his judgment. Police Colonel Chamras Siriliang and his team detained him on February 3.
The fire, started late that morning in the Thalung Lek subdistrict using a lighter, was quickly contained by the local fire department, preventing further damage to nearby farmland.
During the interrogation, Sombat, who seemed drunk, confessed to setting the fire. He explained that after a quarrel with his wife, he drank alcohol with friends, which affected his judgment.
Although he did not mean to cause significant harm, he attributed his actions to his intoxication and personal stress, admitting he did not anticipate the fire’s large-scale damage.
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