Thai Farming: Big changes needed | Bangkok Post: learning

About agriculture

World rice markets changing so Thai rice farming needs to change too. Spend limited money on improved rice varieties for future competitiveness.

Click button to listen to Farming Shakeup download

Economics
AGRICULTURE

Farms 'need big shake-up'

1/11/2012
Phusadee Arunmas

The agricultural sector, particularly the rice segment, is in critical need of a structural overhaul, analysts told a seminar hosted by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

It should apply more technology to boost productivity while in the long run scrapping the capital-intensive rice pledging scheme that could leave huge debts.

...In a move to raise farmers' sustainable income, more technology and machinery need to be applied, while certain workers should be encouraged to work outside the sector...

[As for] the government's rice pledging scheme, which is intended to raise farmers' incomes, ...  it will eventually affect investment in development of rice varieties.

Farmers will no longer pay attention to high-quality varieties, as the scheme will encourage them to grow only rice of short duration and low quality in order to increase production....

....the world's rice consumption over the next 10 years is expected to drop as rice consumers, mostly in Asia, shift to consume more meat, vegetables, fruit and wheat due to growing affluence levels.

Several rice-importing countries are using a policy of self-sufficiency through beefed-up investment in research and development on rice varieties.

...In the long term, the rice pledging scheme will eventually lead the country into a debt crisis and hinder Thailand's competitiveness, as the massive spending on the scheme will tie up the country's ability to spend or borrow more for infrastructure development...

...the government is highly unlikely to sell its rice stocks at decent prices, given the hefty above-market pledged prices.

...higher rice prices [just] prompt buying countries to raise their rice production...

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, AGRICULTURE, Farms 'need big shake-up', 1/11/2012, Phusadee Arunmas, link) 


Rice Industry Vocabulary

Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) - the leading research organization (think tank) in Thailand: "established as a public policy research institute in 1984. Its legal form is that of a private non-profit foundation, provides  analysis to govt agencies to help formulate policies to support long-term economic and social development in Thailand:  "The Institute has 6 major research programs: Human Resources and Social Development, International Economic Relations, Macroeconomic Policy, Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Technology Development, and Sectoral Economics" (See Wikipedia)

variety - a type or group of plant below that of species with a different appearance and usually growing in a different area with 3-part name, new varieties are created by plant breeding (See Wikipedia)

rice variety - (See Wikipedia List)
research and development on rice varieties

plant breeding - making new varieties of plants with needed features: "the art and science of changing the genetics of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. Plant breeding can be accomplished through many different techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more complex molecular techniques. Plant breeding has been practiced for thousands of years, since near the beginning of human civilization. It is now practiced worldwide by individuals such as gardeners and farmers, or by professional plant breeders employed by organizations such as government institutions, universities, crop-specific industry associations or research centers. International development agencies believe that breeding new crops is important for ensuring food security by developing new varieties that are higher-yielding, resistant to pests and diseases, drought-resistant or regionally adapted to different environments and growing conditions." (See Wikipedia)

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) - a major center for developing new varieties of rice located in the Philippines (See Wikipedia and free Rice Breeding Course)

big shake-up - when big changes take place in an organization (managers changed, way things are done changed)
farms need big shake-up

sector - a part of the economy ภาคเศรษฐกิจของประเทศ (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) (See Wikipedia)
agricultural sector

particularly ...  - especially this ... , this one is special ... , very true for this ... 

segment - a part of something ตอน a separate part ส่วนต่างๆของสังคม
the rice segment - the rice part of the agricultural sector

critical - extremely important because a future situation will be affected by it สำคัญยิ่ง
in critical need of

structure (noun) - the system used to organize somerthing or do something
structural (adjective)  
overhaul - to improve something so that every part of it works properly ปรับปรุงใหม่

structural overhaul - complete change in stucture (or how something is organized and done)
in critical need of a structural overhaul

boost - to increase; to strengthen เพิ่ม; ทำให้มีกำลังมากขึ้น
productivity - producing more with the same amount of inputs (labour, energy, etc) การผลิตสินค้า
boost productivity - increase productivity (produce more with less)

apply - to make use of something นำมาใช้
apply more technology to boost productivity

capital - money invested in a business
intensive - involving a lot of something (here: lots of capital or machiner rather than labour)
capital-intensive - needing a lot of machines and equipment (rather than labour)

scheme - a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people แผนการ โครงการ

scrapping - giving up; stopping ยอกเลิก ยุติ
scrapping the capital-intensive rice pledging scheme

sustainable - able to be successfully continued for a long time; can be continued for long periods of time, without being forced to stop แบบยั่งยืน ที่ดำเนินต่อไป
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
sustainable income
raise farmers' sustainable income

encouraged - having more confidence or hope about something มีกำลังใจ
workers should be encouraged to work outside the sector...

intended - planned; wanted to happen ที่ได้วางแผนไว้ ที่ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น
intended to raise farmers' incomes

eventually - at the end of a period of time or at the end of a process ในที่สุด
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
development - the gradual growth and formation of something

it will eventually affect investment in development of rice varieties

pay attention to
no longer pay attention to

Farmers will no longer pay attention to high-quality varieties

duration - length of time it exists
short duration
grow rice of short duration

encourage - make people interested in and excited about doing an activity ปลุกใจ
the scheme will encourage them to grow only rice of short duration and low quality in order to increase production....

consumption - using, eating or drinking something  goods and services that households (families) buy การบริโภค (See Wikipedia)
consumers - people who buy things or services (individuals and families)
consume - to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
....the world's rice consumption over the next 10 years is expected to drop

shift - to change; transfer; move  เคลื่อนย้าย โยกย้าย
sufficiency - the state of having or being enough
self-sufficiency


policy - a plan of action to guide decisions and achieve outcomes นโยบาย (See Wikipedia)
policy of self-sufficiency

rice consumers, mostly in Asia, shift to consume more meat, vegetables, fruit and wheat due to growing affluence levels.

rice varieties

beefed up - strengthened and improved
research and development
beefed-up investment in research and development on rice varieties.

debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
crisis - an urgent, difficult or dangerous situation วิกฤตการณ์ วิกฤต
debt crisis

lead the country into a debt crisis

hinder - prevent something from happening, make it difficult to happen
competitiveness - how well a business can do compared to other firms and gain customers (does it have lower price or higher quality?) การแข่งขัน
hinder Thailand's competitiveness

massive - very large in size, amount or numberใหญ่โต มหาศาล
massive spending
the massive spending on the scheme

infrastructure - the high-cost facilities that everyone in the economy shares (water, roads, electricity, trains) สาธารณูปโภค
infrastructure development

tie up - being used for one thing, so cannot be used for other things
tie up money - money being used for something (so cannot be used for other things)
tie up the country's ability to spend or borrow more for infrastructure development...

stocks - large amounts stored for future use
rice stocks

decent - has acceptable standard or quality
decent prices - good and acceptable prices (for some good being sold in a market)
sell at decent prices

highly unlikely
highly unlikely to sell its rice stocks at decent prices

above-market price - above the price for the "market clearing" price with supply of rice equal demand (so that all the rice is sold)

pledged - seriously promised to do something สาบาน
pledged prices

hefty - very large ใหญ่
hefty above-market pledged prices

prompt - to cause something to happen or be done ก่อให้เกิด cause someone to take action กระตุ้น
higher rice prices prompt buying countries to raise their rice production

Tell us what you think about this article

Like dislike 1 people liked / 0 people disliked it

Share this article

0

0

• More +

• Republishing permission
• Print this

Bangkok Post online classifieds

Try buying & selling goods and properties 24/7 in our classifieds which has high purchasing power local & expatriate audience from within Thailand and around the world.