Illustrative image (Source: Bangkok Post)According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Thaigovernment aims to cut rice production to 27.2 million tonnes from an averageof 33 million tonnes per year in 2017. The rice plantation area will also shrinkto 60.6 million rai (96,960 sq.m) from the current 68 million rai (108,800sq.m).
In addition, about 12 percent of the currenttotal rice farmland will be used for growing such crops as soy beans, greenbeans and organic vegetables as well as for breeding livestock using innovativetechnology. The reduction will be on a voluntary basis and should take in 20years.
Tanit Anakewit, deputy permanent secretary tothe Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, said farming in inappropriatelocations produced low-quality rice, especially during the second crop.
The government is also urging farmers to growcoloured and organic rice that can fetch higher prices and faces lesscompetition.
The strategy was made in the context that globalrice demand is decreasing while demand for vegetables and fruits is on therise.
Global rice yield is expected to increase by 2.4percent to 484 million tonnes in the season 2016-2017, up from 472 milliontonnes of the 2015-2016 crop.-VNA
