Farming

  • Thailand News

    New agricultural land reform policy to implement buffer zones

    Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow is set to propose a new agricultural land reform policy tomorrow. The policy seeks to establish a buffer zone between forest reserves and agricultural land, with the explicit specification that this zone will not be allocated to individual farmers. This comes in the wake of an ongoing dispute between the Agricultural Land Reform Office…

  • Thailand News

    Aleph Farms revolutionises meat production in Southeast Asia

    In a groundbreaking alliance set to revolutionise meat production, Aleph Farms has forged a strategic partnership with biomanufacturer BBGI and synbio research powerhouse Fermbox Bio. This collaboration is set to pave the way for Thailand’s inaugural cultivated meat plant, heralding a new era of sustainable protein sourcing in Southeast Asia. In a bid to enhance production capabilities and foster economic…

  • Guides

    Sustainable farming practices in Thailand

    In your journey through the evolving landscape of sustainable farming in Thailand, it’s crucial to understand the trends shaping agriculture today. One significant shift is the embracing of sustainable agriculture as a necessity, not just a choice. This movement is driven by the imperative need for environmental preservation and the adoption of ecosystem principles, which aim to create a balance…

  • Chiang Mai News

    Thai prime minister tours royal projects to boost agriculture sector

    The Prime Minister of Thailand embarked on a tour of royal initiative projects in Chiang Mai on Saturday. PM Srettha Thavisin’s visit forms part of a broader government strategy to boost the nation’s agricultural sector and strengthen farming communities. Accompanying the prime minister were high-ranking state officials and leaders from the private sector. The entourage comprised Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Thai…

  • Thailand News

    Cabbages cash in: Korat farmers cultivate green gold for speedy harvest and sweet profits

    Farmers in Korat are turning to the cultivation of cabbages due to their short life cycle, quick harvest, and attractive returns. This shift has been motivated by a departure from traditional crops like potatoes and sugarcane. Farmers are attracted to cabbage farming because it guarantees quick cash flow compared to other crops that take longer to mature and sell. In…

  • Thailand News

    Governor’s bold move against toxic haze: Chiang Mai’s war on farm fires heats up

    Chiang Mai Governor Nirat Pongsitthithavorn is leading the charge against the annual curse of PM2.5 pollution caused by the burning of agricultural residue. In a teleconference with the province’s 25 district chiefs, he laid down strict instructions to tackle the issue head-on. The provincial administration has already taken a decisive step by banning unauthorised burning of farm waste from January…

  • Thailand News

    Gardeners at Khao Saming grow golden rambutans and make good profit

    Gardeners in Khao Saming District, Trat province, have been growing golden rambutans for two years and reported experiencing good yields. The rambutans have generated profitable annual incomes. The first lot of rambutan is priced at 100 baht per kilogramme, while the second lot which weighs 2 kilogrammes costs 60 baht per kilogramme. However, the gardeners have not yet started selling…

  • Business News

    Thai feed millers gain sustainable soybean insight at US led conference

    A pivotal conference held last Friday by the Thailand Feed Mill Association (TFMA) saw US experts educating local businesses on the principles of sustainable soybean production. This collaborative event with the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) was aptly named Strategic Insights into Sustainable Practices: A Conclave for Agricultural Stakeholders and Feed Millers. The primary objective was to facilitate knowledge transfer…

  • Thailand News

    Northeast Thailand: Local uncovers rare square yams, boosts income by 4,000 baht

    A 74 year old local known as Uncle Aum from the Map Krat district of Nakhon Ratchasima province dug almost 3 metres deep to forage for a rare variety of wild yams, referred to as square yams by locals due to their distinct shape. Uncle Aum used his free time after the end of the rice harvest season to supplement…

  • Thailand News

    Trunk trouble: Wild elephant herd creates chaos in Prachin Buri farmlands

    In the heart of Prachin Buri, Khao Mai Kaew subdistrict located in the Kabin Buri district, a herd of over 100 wild elephants emerged from the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, wreaking havoc on local farming land. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) swiftly took action, initiating an operation to usher the elephants back into their natural…

  • Thailand News

    Thai farmer turns backyard into mussel farm, earning 400 baht daily

    A farmer in Nakhon Ratchasima has turned a hollow behind his house into a lucrative freshwater mussel farm. The mussels, which are large, fresh, and clean, have found a ready market, with customers even purchasing directly from the mussel farm. With an average daily income of 400 baht, the farmer is gearing up to expand his mussel farming operations. A…

  • Thailand News

    From rubber to riches: Thai farmer’s melon metamorphosis in southern Thailand reaps sweet success

    A rubber plantation farmer transformed his life by rooting out rubber trees and converting his land into a greenhouse for melon farming in Khuan Kalong District, Satun Province. The venture proved to be more profitable than anticipated, turning him from a low-income farmer into an exemplar of agricultural success. Previously a rubber plantation owner, Somsak Jantrakul decided to repurpose his…

  • Thailand News

    Rubber to riches: Thai farmer’s organic vegtable transformation yields green profits

    A 58 year old entrepreneurial farmer in Trang has transformed his four-acre rubber plantation into a thriving organic vegetable garden. Previously, he was earning only 100 baht for 3 kilograms of rubber. Now, his organic vegetable farming generates an income of over 50,000 baht per month from his new endeavour. The farmer, San Chanchia, residing at House No. 17, Village…

  • Crime News

    Fraudulent employment: Fake farm jobs in Australia leave Thai victims scammed

    A fraudulent employment agent lured nearly 30 Thais with enticing job opportunities on Australian cattle farms, duping them out of tens of millions of baht. The victims came forward yesterday, filing a complaint with Thai police against the alleged con artist claiming high social status. The complaint against Watsan (whose last name is withheld) was lodged yesterday by 61 year…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Give your lover shallots this Valentine’s Day, suggests PM Prayut

    The smell of red onion is in the air this Valentine’s Day in Thailand as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invites the public to send shallots to their lover instead of a red rose this year. PM Prayut is pushing shallots as a symbol of love this V-day to support shallot farmers in Srisaket province in northeast Thailand. The shallots grown…

  • Thailand News

    Thai farmer makes 1 million baht per month selling buffalo semen

    A farmer in Kalasin province in northeast Thailand makes 1 million baht every month by selling semen from one special water buffalo named “Big Billion.” Water buffalo (“kwai” in Thai language) breeders all around the kingdom pay high prices for the semen of Big Billion, a ‘textbook’ Thai water buffalo worth 30 million baht. Breeders use Big Billion’s seed to…

  • Cannabis News

    Farmers feed cannabis to chickens in northern Thailand

    Chickens at a farm in Lampang, northern Thailand, are in a “good mood” after the antibiotics in their chicken feed were replaced with cannabis. Not only are the chickens showing higher immunity against disease, but they also have a lower body fat percentage than usual, making for a delicious Khao Man Gai – or chicken rice – according to one…

  • Thailand News

    Thai woman struck dead by lightning in cow field

    A farmer was killed by a lightning strike in a cow field in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday evening. The 53 year old woman was herding her cows into their cowshed to escape the storm when she was struck. Wanida (surname reserved) was out working in the fields with her 53 year old relative Thongbai (surname reserved) when it started…

  • Pattaya News

    Chon Buri farmer catches huge python in his chicken coop

    PHOTO: Top News Thailand A farmer in Ban Beung district of Chon Buri province says he walked in on a huge python in his chicken coop yesterday. The farmer called rescue workers to get the snake out of the coop, and they took five minutes to force the snake into a sack. The farmer said one of his chickens had…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Government allocates 851 million baht for organic farming and projects

    Thailand’s government will give 851 million baht to organic farming projects. 552 million will go to projects on production and management. 176.8 million will go to projects on research and development, innovation, database development and knowledge transfer to farmers. 122.2 million will go to projects improving marketing and standards. An agriculture ministry spokesperson said in the past five years, around…

  • Thailand News

    Nakhon Sawan farmers make large profits growing fingerroot as Covid cure

    While the science may be on the fence, herbal extracts are still growing in popularity as a Covid treatment. krachai khao, AKA fingerroot is providing generous returns for growers in Nakhon Sawan, a northern Thai province. Sales are also booming for the extract of the green chiretta plant AKA fah talai jone, which is used in “traditional” medicine and is…

  • Thailand News

    Rain giving phallus cracks under the elements

    The giant phallus that was erected on a road in accordance with an ancient rain making ceremony in Chachoengsao, a province in central Thailand, East of Bangkok is deteriorating due to sun and rain. The phallus is now showing deep, veiny cracks from the base of the structure, snaking up to the glans of the penis. The local villagers had…

  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Penis statue works as village sees rain after erection

    Laugh and make jokes if you must (we certainly did!) but yesterday’s report on the village that erected a giant penis to bring rain has a, erm, happy ending. We’ll give you one guess on what the weather is like in the Yothaka sub-district of Chachoengsao province this weekend. If you guessed that the penis statue and rain blessing ceremony…

  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Village need rain? Have you considered a giant penis?

    Yothaka Subdistrict of Chachoengsao province is a fertile low river plain along the Nakhon Nayok River with rich agriculture. Since the residents there are heavily dependant on farming and therefore rain for their crops, locals in one village have a tradition to call in the rainy season by really using their (other) heads. Bringing new meaning to the phrase “member…

  • Economy News

    15 most popular tourism provinces contribute 70% of total GDP

    Wealth inequality around the world has always been the haves versus the have nots, but in Thailand, it has become the toured versus the toured not. The Fiscal Policy Officer’s senior expert on macroeconomic policy recently presented some stark figures showing the astounding gap in contribution to the GDP between tourism provinces and non-tourism provinces. Only 15 provinces contribute 70%…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Northeastern Buri Ram mother becomes second to die from lightning in recent weeks

    A Thai mother in Thailand’s northeastern Buri Ram province, has died after being struck by lightning at a cassava plantation. The 38 year old woman, who went by the name of Jureerat, was working in the plantation with her husband, 6 year old daughter, 2 year old son and a neighbour when it started lightly raining. They all took cover…

  • Covid-19 News

    Human trafficking ‘gang’ arrested over Samut Sakhon outbreak | VIDEO

    But are they scapegoats? Nearly 2 months after the Samut Sakhon outbreak put Thailand’s previously excellent Covid 19 record to the test, a series of people are now being rounded up and arrested as the key people behind the outbreak. A 45 year old Thai woman, known as Jay Phet, has been arrested for acquiring illegal Burmese migrants, getting them…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand News Today | Restrictions on Bangkok and Pattaya to be lifted? | January 27

    A trailer truck has driven into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and critically injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s main city district. Luckily rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Air pollution reaches “unhealthy” levels in Thailand’s north and northeast

    18 provinces in Thailand’s north and northeast are being hit by a wave of smoke and air pollution as the burning season kicks in for the country’s agricultural sector. The next 2 months are the peak of the burning off season for agricultural waste as farmers prepare their land for the next crops of corn, rice and sugar and use…

  • Environment News

    Residents express health concerns as smog engulfs Pattaya

    Pattaya residents have expressed concern over air pollution, as the eastern coastal city finds itself engulfed in smog. The Pattaya News reports that the deterioration in air quality has been ongoing for a number of days, with a cloud of haze obscuring the bay and neighbouring islands. Residents are advised to wear masks when outside and to limit outdoor exercise,…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Farmlands flooded in Nong Bua Lam Phu Province as heavy rain persists

    Flooding has inundated over 1,000 rai of farmland and the main highway in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, between Khon Kaen and the Laos border in north east Thailand. Heavy rains since last Thursday have congregated in the area with more rain over the weekend making things worse. Highway 210, running from Udon Thani to Loei province, has been completely…

  • Food

    Thai farmers mystified as government classifies harmless herbs as “hazardous”

    Following a backlash from the country’s farmers, Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has agreed to update its list of “Type 2” hazardous substances to remove 13 herbs and vegetables. The government says it will instead move these to the “Type 1” list, meaning farmers don’t have to be registered as producers, but will still have to inform officials when exporting…

  • Business News

    “Come and see” – Ministry invites diplomats to see coconut-picking monkeys in action

    The monkeys, and the Thai government, are hitting back at accusations macaque monkeys are being exploited, even abused, and forced to pick coconuts for commercial farmers. Some larger western retailers say they’re going to pull Thai coconut products off their shelves after being lobbied by animal rights activist that the coconuts were picked by abused and over-worked macaque monkeys. The Thai…

  • Environment News

    Chiang Mai still struggling for some fresh air

    Chiang Mai is suffering yet another day of poor air quality index, according to aqicn.org. And whilst the air quality is bad, it’s still a lot better than it was a month or so ago when the readings zoomed up to 300-400, and somedays, even higher. aqicn.org data reports that Chiang Mai’s air quality index had a PM2.5 level of…

  • Environment News

    Now paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are banned, what do farmers use?

    PHOTO: sugar-asia.com In just two weeks the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos kicks in – a total ban on the three controversial agri-chemicals. Now officials are ramping up efforts to find effective alternatives for the popular agricultural herbicides and pesticides, especially the two herbicides (maybe this would have been a good idea before they imposed the ban?). Thai PBS…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Farmlands flooded in Mukdahan from mountain run-off

    PHOTO: The Nation Some 10,000 rai of farmland and a main road have been inundated with run-off from mountains in Mukdahan, north-east Thailand near the Laos border and Mekong River. The roads were cut off yesterday morning. The Dong Luang district chief Somsak Boonchan says the runoff from the Phuphan Noi mountain range was caused by several days of heavy…

  • Northern Thailand News

    How to raise rats and other livestock: lessons from a north-eastern school

    PHOTOS: The Nation A school in Surin province, north-east Thailand, is teaching students how to make a living raising small livestock such as wild rats and voles. Local farmers will often pay up to 1,000 baht for breeding rodents, with fully-grown ones sold for meat at 120 baht a kilo. Rodent meat remains a traditional food source in some parts…