Give farmers the tools to let them stand on their own

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Give farmers the tools to let them stand on their own

The Nation December 20, 2011
 
Subsidies are no solution to the long-term problems of low productivity, outdated methods, land reform and debt in the agricultural sector

Thai farmers are in need of support to help them recover from the recent flood disaster. But government support must not only be for immediate effect; it must enable them to stand on their own feet in the long term.

The Agriculture Ministry estimated earlier this month that more than 9.9 million rai of rice fields have been badly damaged after being submerged under water for several weeks.

These farmers need the government's support in order to enable them to continue producing our food. It would be unfortunate indeed if some of these small farmers were forced to leave their land and migrate to the cities to find menial jobs to survive.

The Kingdom may have to let go of some industries that are now failing to compete with neighbouring countries. Our agricultural sector, however, has to be preserved and promoted. The farming sector not only provides us with our food, but it is part of our culture and way of life. Policies directed towards helping farmers should be formulated for sustainable production, not short-term political gain.

Small farmers should be able to keep their land and be able to maintain their traditional lifestyle. If they are able to produce sufficient crops, they will stay in their villages and take part in community development. The security of our farmers will also ensure Thailand's food security. Indeed, this is likely to become a serious issue that the world will have to face in the near future.

However, the reality is that the future of Thai farmers is not assured. They have not received the correct kind of support from the authorities; meaning that they are not being enabled to develop their productivity in a sustainable manner. Some desperately rely on the government's give-away subsidies, while others are forced to sell their farms to investors and loan sharks, later having to lease back their own land to eke out a living.

The Commerce Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong earlier said that the government would encourage those farmers who are not competitive enough to grow cash crops that yield more profit, and would help others to increase their yields per rai. But the government also needs to reduce the huge subsidies given to farmers. We now need better options to help our farmers.

The government would be able to save on subsidies if it supported farmers in a sustainable way by providing better technical support. For instance, farmers should be encouraged to move towards higher-yield organic agriculture in order to reduce their production costs. The production of homemade fermented fertiliser should be promoted. There should also be more active engagement in research and development work to produce high-yielding crop varieties. Farmers should be taught new knowledge and techniques and be able to exchange these new methods amongst their peers.

Sadly, the public view of farmers is that they are a burden on government coffers. Every administration talks about the value of farm subsidies but they never even touch upon the fundamental problem of land reform. As a result, Thailand is now lagging behind other rice-growing countries in terms of research and development and productivity. Small farmers are losing their competitiveness while big corporations, which have the capacity to finance their own research units, have taken control of the market.

The immediate needs of many Thai farmers are quality rice strains for harvesting during the upcoming crop season. The Rice Department under the Agriculture Ministry is currently conducting a "rice caravan" to distribute seeds to farmers who have been affected by the flooding. But after the government has helped farmers to solve their immediate problems, it must seriously begin to assist farmers in improving their production capacity and enable them to benefit from the good rice prices on the world market.

If these issues are not addressed, our farmers will continue to earn paltry amounts of money while the millers and traders reap the real profits from the farmers' hard work. The vicious cycle of our farmers being trapped in permanent debt has continued for too long. The measures to end this situation must allow them to stand on their own two feet.