Questions/Answers

Poverty is one of the major problems that has long been faced by Thai farmers. This is due to farmers’ lack of infrastructure, poor technical knowledge, improper land use planning, and fluctuation of climatic conditions for agricultural production as well as product prices fall. There is the fact that most farmers are smallholders and unable to meet their basic needs from agricultural production. Farm income averaged 57,637 baht per household, while household debt averaged 200,000 baht with more than 30% of farming households having debt of above the income and then living below the poverty line. Most farmers migrated massively out of their villages in search of employment, while their children left behind with grandparents, leading to a complex set of issues such as a lack of emotional warmth, introduction to cycle of drugs, and other social problems. Thus, this alleviate-poverty initiative aims to improve infrastructure services to ensure the appropriate land management by farmers, and to enhance agricultural production and promote a variety of products for marketing purposes. This project was first implemented successfully at Wang Muang and Prasattai villages in 2014, and has been scaling up nationwide, with more than 50,000 farmers have benefitted from the initiative nowadays.

This initiative is in alignment with the “Delivering inclusive and equitable services to leave no one behind” categories. Nakhon Ratchasima Land Development Station has established the alleviate-poverty initiative through development of infrastructure and introduction of best practices for improving the efficiency of agricultural production. This initiative allows smallholder farmers to participate in, and benefit from, the project implementation plan. This also provides the opportunities to farmers who, even among those who have not yet decided to formally, participate in the project to identify the problem and the needs, decide the suitable tools for improving land management for sustainable agricultural production.

This initiative promotes various aspects of sustainable development. Firstly, this project provides stability in farmers’ income to average of 190,000-210,000 baht per year, indicating the positive impact on sustainable poverty reduction (SDG 1) and in the movement to end hunger (SDG 2). This also results in improving quality of life by ensuring that households live healthier and happier (SDG 3). Secondly, income inequality within the country has been reduced (SDG 10) through improving household incomes. Lastly, natural resource management and land productivity are enhanced through development of infrastructure for land management and improvement of agricultural production (SDG 15 and 12).

The initiative has initially provided skills and technical knowledge to farmers in Wang Muang and Prasattai villages where 138 farmers successfully improved their household income and expanded to 50,000 farmers nationwide. Farm household income has increased from below poverty line to average of 190,000 to 210,000 baht per year through farming activities such as aquaculture, a variety of plant production, seed production, and organic rice farming. While most of agricultural products have been sold out with reasonable price through direct contact with the consumers, the rest has been though processing in the villages. The inappropriate land use and limitation of the land such as water shortage and soil salinity have been advanced through infrastructure development and proper land management in a total area of 501,522 rai. As a consequences, government can reduce supports to farmers who suffer from drought and low agricultural crop prices, as they can rely on their skills and knowledge. On the social side, this initiative has promoted farmers to work in their farm efficiency, without seeking for employment outside, and thus strengthened family institution where members of family live happily together. This also helps government to reduce the financial burden in responses to crime and drugs.

The initiative proposed the demand-driven agricultural production program to assist farmers. This program provided better land use planning for a variety of agricultural production. Farmers initially implemented the initiative by establishing 30% of farmland as ponds for rainwater harvesting, where soils dug can be managed to cultivate crops such as tamarind, bamboo, flowers and vegetables etc. These plants provide yield to the market within a year. The ponds can also be used to raise fish, thus adding to the household income. The remaining area is devoted to organic rice cultivation for the household consumption and seed production to the market.

The demand-driven agricultural production program is considered a new innovation for farmers. However, this program was integrated to the concept of the new agricultural theory though land use planning. The theory was initiated by His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand who employed the knowledge and efforts based on his vision to improve the living conditions of disadvantaged farmers. Following the new agriculture theory, the land is divided into four parts, including reservoirs, rice cultivation, horticultural crops and residential areas, with a ratio of 30:30:30:10. The implementation of this initiative helps farmers achieved self-sufficiency at a frugal level.

Knowledge has been transferring to farmers, land users and stakeholders such as village chiefs, and community organization via trainings and demonstration sites. More than 100,000 participants were trained during the period from 2015 to 2018. This aims to scale out the best practices for land management. Additionally, knowledge has also transferred through the media in various channels, including website and television programs such as My Little Farm, Channel 9on April 5, 2017 and September 10, 2018; Bang-Aor, Channel 9 on October 15, 2017; and Thai Farm, channel 3 on September 22, 2018, and NBT THAILAND Channel on August 24, 2018.

In order to implement the initiative successfully, Land Development Department has allocated a budget to develop the operational plans of activities. The 6 main activities include 1) infrastructure development (9 million baht), 2) soil and water conservation in lowland and upland (2.5 million baht), 3) soil and water conservation with tree cultivation (0.51 million baht), 4) construction of water resources (10 million baht), 5) organic farming (1.0 million baht), and 6) change of land use (1.2 million baht). Moreover, LDD also promoted capacity building in land development, organized village volunteer soil doctors, provided operation manual, and sets up working group

Economic dimension: this initiative has allowed farmers to receive additional household income, letting them recovering from poverty. This is extremely important for the country's economy because farmers can largely rely on themselves without or less government assistance. Therefore, government can focus more on the development of the country in other aspects that needed to be able to achieve internationally agreed development goals. Social dimension: this initiative has brought farmers who abandoned their farm land to search of employment back to agricultural sector. This resulted in not only those farmers can practice sustainable agricultural production, but also strengthening family institution, improve household well-being, while reducing social inequality, crime and drug cycle. Environmental dimension: this initiative has reduced land degradation e.g. salt-affected areas, drought-affected areas, and low soil fertility through employing the innovation and technology for land development. However, to be success, farmers need to change their altitude towards sustainable land development and better understanding the benefits of soil quality improvement, reduction of soil erosion by using vetiver grass, planting trees for ecological conservation, reduction of agrichemical produce, practice organic farming where less toxic adds to, and remains in, soil and plants.

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Monitoring and evaluating of initiative were integrated every year, with both internal and external performance evaluation systems. Internal performance evaluation was done in accordance with internal performance agreement. The committees were appointed to monitoring and evaluation the output and outcome through 3 main activities: 1) specific area development and 2) interview with farmers, and 3) farmer satisfaction on services. This information was reported to Director General of Land Development Department directly. External performance evaluation was done by local government, agencies under Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, sub-district chief, village chief and farmers. This included the evaluation of the social-economic situation

Indicators for the assessment include land, economic and social assessment: The land assessment comprised of modification of the land an infrastructure, construction of farm ponds, improvement of soil, production of rice seeds and organic rice. Economic assessment comprised of household income, expenditure, debt, main occupation, alternative occupation, farmers' satisfaction, yield production, and price of products through interviewing the farmers who participated in the project. Social assessment included farmer’s satisfaction with government agencies, participation in community activities, living conditions and security of life and property.

Poverty alleviation project was implemented through land modification for mixed farming system, farm ponds construction in saline soil, soil improvement for rice seed and organic rice production. This initiative provided farmers to increase their household incomes that allowed them to be able to release debt, with a 100 percent of the farmers satisfied to return home and work in their own land, and 80 percent of the farmers recovered from poverty sustainably. Farmers who practiced farming in their own area stayed healthy, and happy. This can eliminate hunger, reduce social inequality, strengthening family institution, and reduce the crime and drugs.

1) Nakhon Ratchasima Land Development Station reviewed and analyzed the problems before conducting public criticism, interviewing, discussing and motivating farmer to adopt the initiative. This is because the initiative implementation requires the change of the area such as farm pond construction, where 80 percent of farmers did not accept this concept at the beginning. However, after consulting and showing them the benefits of such modification, farmers accepted and agreed to change by up to 90 percent of farmer. 2) 138 master farmers, with area of 1,522 rai, participated in the poverty alleviation project following the advice from LDD staffs. These farmers are considered as a role models for others in order to adapt themselves, adopt the initiative and implement it to their land. 3) Volunteer soil doctors served as LDD representatives providing and helping farmers in soil improvement, organic crop production, planting perennials trees, and fish farming. This group of volunteers has high capacity, considering as key resources for the initiative. 4) Sub-district and village chiefs were responsible for appointing farmers, transferred information about project to farmers, and facilitated LDD staffs during the implementation of the initiative. They also solved problems occurring during the implementation and helped project proceed efficiently.

To get out of poverty, farmers must accept change, not to stick to something that do not contribute to a better life. Government must seek new ways to help farmers at full capacity and make it possible for them to accept and perform effectively. This requires cooperation of all sectors, including public, private and farmer sectors, thus it can be driven projects to tackle poverty. Farmers must focus on demand-driven production, where a variety of production can prevent impact from prices fall. This also includes processing, direct sales to consumers through various channels, such as online media, agricultural tourism, etc.