Mae Tha sustainable agriculture cooperative in Chiang Mai province is now considered a model in addressing issues of forest encroachment and land use. Heeding the government policy to enable Thais to have equal access to land use, the Prime Minister’s Office minister has made a visit to the cooperative.
Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Anucha Nakasai visited the Mae Tha sustainable agriculture cooperative in Mae On district of Chiang Mai.
The visit was aimed at following up on the drive to elevate the cooperative into an entity authorized to exploit and take up residence inside a national reserve forest. The cooperative is treated as a model in addressing issues of forest land encroachment and people’s lack of land to make a living on. The drive is aimed at allowing locals to legally exploit land in appropriate manners.
Minister Aucha said the government intends to provide people with equal opportunities to reside on or exploit the land.
Mae Tha sustainable agriculture cooperative passed an evaluation of a cooperative’s strength level as determined by the Cooperative Promotion Department. It was elevated into a cooperative authorized to exploit or take up residence on national reserve forest land.
Organic farming is emphasized at the cooperative, which generates income for people using 400 rai of land. 300 metric tons of produce worth about 12 million baht is yielded each year. The cooperative is a success case in management and produces concrete results. It has now become a model for other cooperatives. (NNT)
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