BANGKOK, Oct 7 – The interim government of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will set up ‘agricultural zoning’ for growing rice, rubber and other agricultural products to persuade growers to use less land area and water but which offers higher yields.
Gen Prayut told journalists after chairing a National Rice Policy Committee meeting Monday that the Interior Ministry has been assigned to establish a joint committee with other government agencies to specify ‘agricultural zones’ as well as finding ways to persuade people around the world to consume more rice, which would help boost sales of Thai rice.
He said the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry was also ordered to prepare a clearer list of agriculturists, within and outside irrigation zones, buyers and to also find agricultural land for low-income farmers.
Re-emphasising that his government is determined to assist poor farmers, as it had paid money to farmers who had sold rice to the previous, toppled government under its rice-pledging programme, Gen Prayut said his government would one year from now continue to helping farmers.
Money to be handed out by the government to poor rice farmers at Bt1,000 per rai is “not a populist programme,'” he said, “but rather on solving problems urgently.”
The cabinet last week gave the green light to inject Bt40 billion in cash for rice farmers, insisting that it was aimed at stimulating local economy.
Gen Prayut said the Tourism and Sports Ministry has also been assigned to promote eco-tourism by asking farmers to offer home stay services to foreign tourists so that they would be enable to learn rural lifestyles.
