Agriculture Ministry implements its five-year rice production plan

BANGKOK, April 13 (TNA) -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has received cabinet approval for its five-year rice production plan and is proceeding with the implementation. Gen Chatchai Sarikulya, the agriculture minister, said that the cabinet endorsed the plan on April 11 and allocated budgets to fund the implementation. During its implementation in the next five years, his ministry would spend 57 million baht on promoting quality fragrant Hom Mali rice and 411 million baht on creating large-scaled paddy fields, he cited. There would be 750 new large-scaled zones particularly for rice cultivation this year. The minister also sought 9.7 billion baht from the government to promote the production of organic rice in the next five years. The government allocated 619 million baht for the task this year, Gen Chatchai said. “Budgetary requests for the five-year rice cultivation plan show the sincerity of the agriculture ministry to help Thai rice growers from poverty so that they will enjoy better life,” he said. For the Songkran festival, his ministry opens 220 service areas from April 12 to 17 to promote road safety and sell farm products at 71 service areas to help local farmers. (TNA)