AGRICULTURE FARMERS THREATEN TO QUIT : Sugarcane substitution project hit by delays

AGRICULTURE FARMERS THREATEN TO QUIT : Sugarcane substitution project hit by delays.

SUPAMART KASEM

Tak _ A state project to replace rice crops on polluted land in Mae Sot with sugarcane for ethanol production is in danger of failing unless authorities urgently readdress their approach, activists said yesterday.

Authorities have been urged to speed up the delivery of sugarcane saplings for plantation on the cadmium-contaminated land that has traditionally been used to grow rice.

The promotion of non-edible crops followed findings that harmful levels of toxic cadmium are present in tambon Mae Tao and Mae Ku.

However, the project has failed due to ''bureaucratic red tape'' in the distribution of sugarcane saplings and other raw materials to villagers, said Ploenjai Lertlakkhanawong, of the Mae Sot Civic Society.

''Last year, delays in planting caused damage to over 2,500 rai out of 3,000 rai of agricultural land due to heavy downpours of rain, which came earlier than expected,'' said Ms Ploenjai.

''The 500 rai which survived yielded only 12-15 tonnes per rai.''

The low-lying area is prone to flooding and has traditionally been used to grow rice. Unless the problem was addressed, a repeat of last year's fiasco was possible.

She said sugarcane saplings should be procured urgently, to speed up crop planting. She gave her suggestions during a meeting yesterday of a committee to promote sugarcane as a crop for ethanol production on the 8,000-rai of cadmium-contaminated land.

The government must ensure villagers can earn a living from the crop substitution project, otherwise farmers will go back to growing rice, she said.

''Such a move will have a damaging impact on the country's rice export industry as a whole because importers might ban Thai rice produce for fear of cadmium contamination,'' she said.

The committee, chaired by Tak governor Chumporn Polrak, discussed the progress of the sugarcane planting project in which 40 million baht has been allocated this year to promote non-edible crops.

About 150 affected farmers from the three areas have agreed to join the project to convert around 2,500-rai of paddy fields into sugarcane plantations.

Mr Chumporn asked state agencies to decide this week which bidding methods _ e-auction or fast track bidding _ should be used. Last year, the government paid 55.7 million baht in compensation to cadmium affected farmers under the scheme.

The zinc mining firm Padaeng Industry Plc, which is near the cadmium-tainted villages, and its partners have also agreed to invest 1.5 billion baht to build an ethanol plant in Mae Sot, which would buy sugarcane from farmers.

Bangkok Post
Friday January 12, 2007