Bangkok: Decharat, the prospective Deputy Prime Minister of the People's Government, has laid out an ambitious agricultural agenda aimed at tackling land issues and boosting security for farmers. This plan seeks to usher in a new era of agriculture by addressing critical challenges such as soil management, water resources, market access, and debt relief.
According to Thai News Agency, Decharat Sukkamnerd, speaking at the People's Government's vision announcement event, highlighted 12 missions for national governance. One of the pivotal missions is to transform rural Thailand through major land reforms and sustainable modern agriculture. Farmers and rural communities are currently grappling with rising production costs, frequent natural disasters like droughts and floods, low yields, and highly volatile commodity prices. These factors have contributed to a crippling cycle of debt for many farmers.
Decharat emphasized that the core issues affecting the agricultural and rural sectors include insecurity, lack of land ownership, environmental uncertainties, and fluctuating market conditions. The People's Government aims to transition from annual grants to targeted assistance, focusing on the distinct needs of four farmer groups: elderly farmers trapped in debt, farmers focused on local markets, globally competitive farmers, and the new generation of tech-savvy farmers.
The policy framework includes efforts to ensure land security by expediting land title issuance, reforming land laws, and promoting community-managed conservation forests. Soil fertility improvement and efficient water resource management are also key components, with plans for subsidies, debt reduction, and promoting efficient water-use practices.
The government intends to oversee market fairness, with transparent pricing mechanisms and measures against price manipulation. This includes establishing a public price board and facilitating surplus produce absorption to stabilize prices.
Decharat concluded by stating that the ultimate goal is to cultivate a new generation of progressive farmers, equipped with skills training, technology, and market access, to lead agricultural and rural development into the future.