Thailand: Campaign launched to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rice farming

Bangkok (NNT/VNA) -The growth of ecological friendly livelihoods is a part of the national 20-year strategy for security, prosperity and sustainability. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has joined hands with the German International Cooperation to launch the Thai Rice NAMA campaign to improve farming efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for sustainable development, piloting first in six provinces.

The campaign, in the pilot phase, will be working with 100,000 farming households in six central provinces within the irrigation service area, namely Chainat, Ayutthaya, Pathumthani, Singburi, Ang Thong and Suphanburi, covering 4,480 sq.km of farmland.

Technologies will be implemented to help individual farmers to adjust their practices to emit less greenhouse gas and help improve seedling development based on each area.

Techniques such as land leveling, wet and dry cultivation, fertiliser use based on soil conditions, as well as hay and rice stubble management to reduce burning will be promoted to reduce water consumption and flooding on farms.

The Thai Rice NAMA campaign also includes the establishment of a revolving fund, training on farming technologies which emit less greenhouse gas, the promotion of world-class rice production quality and green loans for sellers and service providers of farming technologies which help reduce greenhouse gas emission. It is expected some 450,000 farmers and technology providers will benefit from this campaign, helping yield 4 million tonnes of high quality produce each year.- NNT/VNA