perspective

Government promotion of organic farming has so far failed to spur a widescale chemical-free trend among Thai farmers, but the lower costs involved may yet turn the tide, writes TUNYA SUKPANICH


Last month the government approved the four-year (2008-2011) national plan on organic farming. Some people in the private sector who have long worked to promote organic farming welcome this as a sign that the state wants to replace the present destructive chemicals-based agriculture with a more sustainable and healthy alternative.

But although successive governments under the administration of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra endorsed organic farming, the number of farmers turning to chemical-free agriculture has not increased substantially. In fact, the amount of agricultural chemicals used has been steadily rising. For example, in 2007, according to the Department of Agriculture, a total of 4,393,2453 tonnes of various kinds of chemical fertilisers worth more than 45 billion baht were used, an increase of 11 billion baht over 2006.

The Thaksin government announced in 2001 its intention to develop and transform Thai agriculture to be a big producer of organic food products for domestic and export markets. Three years later, promotion of organic farming was formally incorporated into the national agenda, with concerned ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment working together on an ambitious plan to convert at least 85 million rai of farmland to organic cultivation methods.

In the year 2006, the plan was to recruit 850,000 farmers to organically tend 16 million rai of land, and to reduce chemicals imported into the country for agricultural use by at least 50% in four years.

However, under the government of Surayud Chulanont (October 2006 to January 2008) all plans were dissolved and the issue was taken off the national agenda. Only the national committee formed to implement policy on organic farming remained.

When the present administration under Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej took over in January of this year organic farming was once again made a priority, and work on the national plan was resumed, with the finished product revealed last month.

However, many still express doubts that government agencies really understand the true concepts behind the practice.

"Some government officials still maintain that certain types of chemicals can be used as pesticides," said Natrudee Nakhonwaja, manager of Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand (ACT), an organisation which certifies organic products for international markets. She cautioned that this misunderstanding is a great flaw in the national organic plan.

The root of the problems seems to be that the years-long process leading up to the national plan lacked participation of the very farmers who have been implementing organic farming practices over the last few decades, with only a few government agencies in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) playing a major role.

High Demand for Organics

Vitoon Panyakul of the non-governmental organisation Green Net, which works to assist organic farmers throughout the country to find local and overseas markets, said that in 2006 an estimated 140,939 rai, or 0.11 percent of the total 131,2700,000 rai dedicated to agriculture in Thailand, was being farmed organically, an increase of 5,000 rai from the previous year.

"It is expected that the number might have decreased a bit last year, especially in Buri Ram and Surin provinces," he said, adding that this reflects the government policy's lack of influence on farmers.

Yet the demand for organic products remains high, as there is not enough produced to supply local or overseas markets, said Vitoon. According to a Green Net report, Thailand produced 30,381 tonnes of organic farm products in 2006, worth 948 million baht, of which 520 million baht worth went to local markets and 428 million baht to overseas market.

The local market is growing because many supermarkets promote organic foods to their customers. As a consequence, non-genuine organic products have also found their way onto supermarket shelves.

Vallop Pichpongsa of Top Organic and Supplies company said that of the total area cultivated for organic crops, 100,000 rai, or around 80%, is rice fields. Some of these have been certified as organic by international accreditation organisations, as well as the local Organic Thailand, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Other fields are in a transitional period from partly chemical to fully organic.

As is true for many other organic products, the demand for organic rice is on the increase in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia.

At the present time, said Vallop, organic rice farmers have three channels to export their rice. First is a limited distribution in overseas markets through cooperation with NGOs which assist them with accreditation. This is based on principles of fair trade.

"The farmers can depend on themselves since they do not need a huge amount of money for distribution," he said.

Another channel is cooperation with an export company, which also helps farmers certify their products.

However, in many cases farmers' groups or cooperatives obtain certification on their own and then sell their rice to the export companies.

The present high price of rice, of course, is also affecting organic rice farmers.

"Some farmers decide to sell their organic paddy rice into the general rice market to earn high returns quickly," said Vallop.

Under such a circumstance, he noted, it makes it more difficult to maintain the area currently under organic rice cultivation, much less increase it.

More Varieties Coming

Dr Salee Chinsatit and her team at the Department of Agriculture have conducted research on numerous varieties of local vegetables and fruits - cucumbers, jack beans, logan and pamelo, to name a few - on which large amounts of chemical fertilisers and pesticides have traditionally been used to look for organic alternatives.

"Many farmers who grow these vegetables and fruits want to know how to use an organic farming system - what types of organic fertilisers and pesticides will be suitable for each variety," she said. This is partly a reflection of heightened consumer awareness of the risks from toxic chemicals contamination. At the same time, farmers want to reduce the cost of expensive chemicals.

Dr Salee also helps the department's Organic Thailand with the certification of organic farms. "We have certified about 2,000 organic farms so far. Our certification is accepted by nearby countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore," she said. However, Thailand's organic products also need certification from the previously mentioned ACT to enter most overseas markets.

Nartrudee, the ACT manager, explained that at the present time many countries, including Canada and the United States, are developing their own standards for organic foods. Farmers face difficulties in meeting the different standards. However, thus far the certification from ACT, affiliated with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), has been accepted by most countries.

Success Stories

While it is distressing that organic methods are failing to win over Thai farmers on the whole, there are many notable success stories.

Decha Siripat, a long-time veteran of organic farming, told of rice farmers in Suphan Buri province who invest only around 1,900 baht per rai in total materials and get yields of around 1,500 kilogrammes per rai.

"No matter how low the price of paddy rice is, they still profit," said Decha. There are many success stories in other provinces as well.

Still, the reluctance to jump on the organics bandwagon persists in Thai farming communities.

However, more farmers, individually or in groups are with some hesitation implementing a hybrid approach, by introducing organic fertilisers and pesticides along with the chemical substances they have been using for a long time into their fields.

It is not just a matter of changing old belief and routines. They also must spend considerable time making their own fertilisers from leftover organic materials from their rice fields or even fish ponds.

Apparently, they are satisfied with the outcome - the yields from their fields and the improvements to the environment, which has a direct correlation to their own health.

Vimol Nontanakorn and other rice farmers in Klong Luang district of Pathumthani have been using both organic fertilisers and chemical fertilisers in their rice fields for about three years now, after a suggestion from agriculture officials.

"We make our own organic fertilisers and also buy chemical and urea fertilisers," said Vimol.

They no longer dispose of their rice stalks by burning. They plough soil over them and apply a micro-organism known as EM to digest them.

When Vimol used only chemical fertiliser in his rice fields, he used about one-and-a-half 50-kilogramme bags per rai. Since he began using organic fertilisers as well in his rice fields, it takes only nine bags for 30 rai.

This is a substantial cost reduction, while the yields remain the same, about 1,200 kilogrammes of paddy per rai.

The ingredients for his home-made organic fertiliser are hay and molasses, supplied by agricultural officials.

Cost is the Key

"We have to accept that the first year the rice paddy looks less healthy, but it will improve later," Vimol added.

He thinks that the shooting price of chemical fertilisers and pesticides will be an important factor in making farmers choose to reduce their use of chemicals.

Montri Kansombat of Ayutthaya province and Supot Jupia, a farmer in Chachoengsao province, agreed that the high price of chemical fertilisers will make farmers think about going organic.

Introduced to organics a few years ago, Montri accepts that it will be difficult for Thai farmers to change their habits after decades of heavy chemical use. He thinks government agencies should provide more information and advice to farmers.

Before he began using organics, Montri had to increase the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides every year. "I had to use almost two 50-kilogramme bags on one rai because the overuse of chemicals made the land less fertile. It is so costly," he said.

Supot has been using organic fertiliser and pesticide along with chemical fertilisers for about four years now.

He admitted to having doubts at first, but now he is happy to have kicked the habit of intensive chemical use in his rice fields.

"Actually, I now use chemical substances only when necessary. For example, if the paddy is severely affected by disease or insects," said Supot.

Like most other farmers in the area, Supot also raises fish.

"Whenever we sell our fish, some of them, for instance small-sized ones, will be fermented with molasses to make fertiliser to use in my rice fields. The process takes 4 to 5 months. Each time I will have about 600 litres of fertiliser," he said.

Supot also makes his own herbal pesticide from a variety of plants, including citrus.

His yield of about 1,200 kilogrammes per rai is the same as before, but he saves about 2,000 baht per rai.

Supot said that using chemicals had become a habit.

"We believe that chemicals will increase yields and stop pests and diseases. We forget that nature can handle itself. For example, earthworms help plough the soil, and there are many insects that help control other destructive insects. Intensive use of chemicals kills them all."

"More and more farmers in my neighbourhood have started reducing their use of chemicals," said Supot, adding that he is getting ready for the plunge to full- scale organic farming.

This is the first of a two-part series.


NATIONAL PLAN FOR ORGANIC FARMING ( 2008-2011)

The first national plan on organic farming outlines 12 goals and 104 projects.

Concepts and principles:

1. People are at the centre of the plan.

2. Plan is based on sustainable economy principles.

3. Plan emphasises a participatory system.

Three main strategies:

1. To develop knowledge and innovations in organic farming.

2. To develop traditional and local organic farming methods that enable farmers to depend on themselves, and also to find markets for their products.

3. To develop organic farm products for export markets.

The budget for the four-year plan is 4.8 billion baht. The government has allocated 1.1 billion baht for this year, 1.4 billion baht for 2009, 1 billion baht for 2010, and 1.1 billion baht for 2011.

By Bangkok Post On 11 June 2008

  List of All    
  Print version