Sugar mills plan help in harvesting to stop burning of sugar cane by farmers in Thailand

Published 2023년 2월 20일

Tridge summary

The Office of Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB) is taking steps to address the environmental concerns arising from sugar cane burning, a significant contributor to PM2.5 pollution. The OCSB is encouraging collaboration with stakeholders, including sugar mills and farmers, to implement measures such as providing loans for harvesting trucks and purchasing burnt sugar cane at a reduced price to discourage the burning practice. However, the proposed regulations on the purchase of substandard cane have been perceived as unfair by sugar mills. In addition to short-term solutions, mills are advocating for education and adoption of sustainable cultivation practices among farmers. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency's data reveals that forest and agricultural waste burning, including sugar cane, has been a leading cause of PM2.5 pollution over the past decade.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The Office of Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB) recently invited all parties involved in the cane and sugar industry, including representatives of sugar cane farmers and sugar mills to discuss measures to end the burning of sugar cane in order to reduce the environmental impact and the occurrence of PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter). “To solve this problem sustainably, all parties including government agencies and factories, must work together by adding supportive measures to encourage farmers in cutting fresh sugar cane,” said Pramote Wittayasuk, president of Thai Sugar Millers Corporation (TSMC). He said 57 sugar mills were ready to cooperate with provincial and local authorities. The plan to solve this problem is by “granting contracted farmers a loan for purchasing sugar cane harvesting trucks, so they can harvest sugar cane at a low cost compared to using labourers,” Pramote explained. He said TSMC is ready to buy sugar cane leaves at 800 baht per ...

Source: Nationthailand