Thailand is looking to strengthen its rice farming sector by introducing a climate-smart initiative for growers nationwide.
The initiative was launched on Wednesday under a 118-million-euro (4.2 billion baht) funded collaborative project to help 253,400 rice growers adopt sustainable farming practices, strengthen the marketing ecosystem and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by 2028.
The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and international private-sector partners.
The project also sees cooperation from key government agencies, including the Rice Department, Agricultural Promotion Department, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, International Rice Research Institute, and the Bangkok Office of the German development agency GIZ.
The project will allow farmers to gain access to 10 climate-smart farming technologies, including farm-level water management, laser land levelling, alternate wetting and drying, straw and stubble management, site-specified nutrient management, rice variety diversification, integrated pest management and crop diversification rotation.
These innovations are designed to enhance farming efficiency, increase rice yields, lower production costs, reduce emissions and build resilience against climate change.
The project will run for five years (2024-2028) across 21 key rice-producing provinces in Thailand. It will focus on training farmers, promoting access to financial support, and strengthening market connections.
"It is to scale solutions that benefit both the people and the planet," said Ernst Reichel, German ambassador to Thailand, emphasising the importance of this collaboration.
