A rice field in Narathiwat province, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – The Government of Thailand hasapproved a programme to help farmers reduce second crop rice planting of 2018and grow other plants instead.
A sum of 1.7 billion THB (52.4 million USD) will be allocated from the statebudget to support farmers in 53 out of 77 provinces and cities, in a bid to cutdown 24,000ha of rice farmland in 2018. Accordingly, rice farmers will receive2,000 THB (61 USD) per rai (1 rai = 0.16ha).
Earlier, the Thai Government set a target of reducing rice output to 27.2million tonnes compared to the annual average output of 33 million tonnes. Ricefarmland was also adjusted down to 60.6 million rai from the current 68 millionrai.
About 12 percent of the country’s total cultivation areas are expected to growother plants such as green bean, soybean, organic vegetables, sugarcane,cassava and raise livestock using advanced technology.
The Thai Government has worked to lower rice output, mainly in sub-crops toencourage farmers to grow other plants under the agricultural restructuringplan, which is part of the national food strategy.-VNA
The Thai Government has launch three additional initiatives to support farmers, which were approved at the August 4 meeting of the National Rice Policy and Management Committee.
The Thai Government needs to find the right markets for organic rice before encouraging farmers to increase the cultivating area from 300,000 rai (48,000 hectares) to 1 million rai in 2019, said President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association Charoen Leothamatas.
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A rice field in Narathiwat province, Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
