Agriculture Ministry promotes New Theory farming

Bangkok, Nov 23 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives plans to introduce the New Theory agriculture to 140,000 farmers within next year. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikulya opened a seminar on a project to promote the New Theory agriculture initiative of King Rama IX. He said that this year 70,000 farmers participated in the New Theory agriculture project and his ministry planned to invite 70,000 more farmers to the project next year. Gen Chatchai said that the success of the New Theory agriculture required cooperation from five sectors: farmers, local intellects, the private sector, educational institutions and officials of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. The minister explained that the New Theory agriculture did not require farmers to stop growing their old plants but encouraged them to also grow other plants to cut their expenses. He said that the number of members of farmers’ families who returned home to implement the New Theory agriculture rose by 1.5%. (TNA)