Going green for green
Udon Thani has embraced organic food because of the economic and ecological benefits. By Chatrudee Theparat
Udon Thani province has been urging farmers to grow chemical-free, organic crops to help grow their businesses. Organic food is often sold at double the price of conventionally produced food.
Sales of organic food are growing by doubledigit rates in many countries, with the fastest growth in China, up 32% per year from 2010 through 2014, driven in part by public anxiety over chemical contamination in food following several scandals.
In Thailand, sales of organic food grew at a 7% annual rate during the same period, compared with 5% for conventional food, says Green Net Cooperative, a Thai non-profit.
The main foods grown organically in the country are rice, coffee beans, mulberry leaf tea, fresh vegetables such as lettuce, and fruit like coconuts.
Udon Thani assists farmers in accessing markets and distributors interested in organic products.
There are 10 hotels and department stores and 20 hospitals purchasing chemical-free and organic vegetables from 15 community businesses, and the province is incentivising farmers to construct more buildings to grow organic vegetables.
Wattana Putthichart, the governor of Udon Thani province, says the project to promote chemical-free agriculture in the province has already seen progress.
There are 15 community networks among agriculture groups in the upper northeast covering Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Nong Bua Lam Phu and Bung Kan.
Udon Thani province started promoting safe agricultural products three years ago on a government requirement to promote organic crops.
The province signed a memorandum of understanding in April this year with hospitals, large farms and Udon Thani’s Chamber of Commerce to purchase non-toxic rice, vegetables and fruit from 143 communities, helping 17,879 families in 17 districts.
Muai Don Srikhote, chairman of Phu Tara Community Business, says Kok Lam and Saeng Aram communities, in tambon Kut Mak Fai, district Nong Wua So, operated the community businesses last year.
The Phu Tara Community Business was operated under the “Phu Tara brand” after a Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation project supplied irrigation from the Huai Klai reservoir to the region’s farmlands in 2011.
Both the foundation and the province are promoting organic agriculture products.
“We decided to grow chemical-free, organic agricultural products because of better prices and higher demand in the market,” says Mrs Muai.
“The villagers also have better health and growth, while preserving the environment.”
The communities have also established a small rice mill after members previously sold their rice products in the general market.
Later, Udon Thani province promoted communities selling rice products to hospitals, department stores and children’s centres.
She expects Phu Tara Community Business to generate 14 million baht in income next year, with an additional 6 million from processing food.
Udon Thani Rajabhat University also assisted farmers with marketing, packaging development and developing the organic rice brand Phu Tara, says Mrs Muai.
“We plan to produce other farm products this year, especially vegetables and local fruit,” she says.
The Huai Klai reservoir was opened by the Royal Irrigation Department in 2008, but the water was poorly utilised because there was not a pipeline connecting the reservoir to cultivation areas and communities.
The Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation took up the challenge with a budget of 9 million baht, building a spillway and two small reservoirs in lower areas, then laying a pipeline to two communities — Kok Lam and Saeng Aram.
Water retention in the Huai Klai reservoir has since increased to 890,000 cubic metres from 690,000, sufficient to supply 1,788 rai of farmland, more than double the previous area of 800 rai.
The National Economic and Social Development Board reported the 12th economic and social development national plan (2017-2021) hopes to develop the farm sector to promote more sustainable growth.
The farm sector includes 6.7 million families, some 30 million people, but the sector accounts for only 10% of GDP.
The plan intends to increase the happiness index to 85 from 77 in the 11th national plan, while income of farmers and agricultural cooperatives is expected to increase by 20%, with farm sector growth targeted at 3% annually.
We decided to grow chemical-free, organic agricultural products because of better prices and higher demand in the market. MUAI DON SRIKHOTE Chairman, Phu Tara Community Business