The Thai government is set to allocate a budget of 7 billion baht to encourage sugarcane farmers to harvest their crops fresh instead of burning them, in order to reduce PM2.5 pollution levels. The Office of the Cane and Sugar Board has initiated the sugarcane purchasing period for the 2024-2025 production season, with plans to purchase fresh, unburnt sugarcane from farmers. The program includes financial incentives for collecting sugarcane tops and leaves, and strict penalties for delivering burnt sugarcane. The purchasing period will be staggered across different regions to optimize sugar yields.