November 7, 2000
Down-home dividends By cultivating-and sharing-local expertise, a group of academics and farmers is bringing healthy returns to the community of Ban Kham Thao Villagers of Ban Kham Thao in Nakhon Phanom run their own rice mill and have their own brand-name rice _ FRDN Rice. Story By CHOMPOO TRAKULLERTSATHIEN Pictures by SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT By pooling their knowledge and resources together, the farmers of Ban Kham Thao now run their own rice mill, produce animal feed and fuel from rice chaff, as well as network with other villages to exchange their produce. What's more, with a little more marketing confidence, they are planning to run a community gas station. According to a recent Department of Local Administration report, Ban Kham Thao is one of the healthiest communities in Nakhon Phanom, thanks to strong leadership within the community and support from outside. The changes at Ban Kham Thao started in 1997, when the Fund for Research and Development Networks Project (FRDN) launched a programme to help rural communities develop databases on community resources so that they can use the information to strengthen themselves. The project is the brainchild of a civil society group in Nakhon Phanom. Group members come from all walks of life-they range from historians, administrators, and lecturers to community leaders. The FRDN group believes that Thai farmers have received little state support, and they deserve to get more assistance so that they have more choices in life. "While most rice farmers are plagued by perennial debt, those at Ban Kham Thao in Nakhon Phanom have shown how things can be turned around if farmers get organised," says Dr Artha Nantachukra, one of the leaders of the Fund for Research and Development Networks Project. "We want to do our bit to help the villagers help themselves instead of waiting forever for state assistance," said Asst Prof Dr Artha Nantachukra, secretary of the project. He is also director of Mahasarakham University's South East Asian Research Association in Vietnam. The project started about four years ago when a group of people who work in community development met to discuss farmers' problems. They agreed that the root cause of rural poverty is misguided development that destroys the fabric of farm society. "Thai farmers have no future. They have to struggle for their survival on their own. So we agreed to launch a pilot project at Ban Kham Thao to reverse the situation because we already got good cooperation from community leaders there," he said. To encourage the villagers to invest funds in their community, the project began by offering "shares" in the community at 100 baht each. Now, the community has 4,460 shares, worth a total of 446,000 baht. "Rural villages normally lack money to use for development projects. We think these community funds can help solve the problem," said Dr Artha. At first, the villagers wanted to have quick returns on their investments, he said. Through regular discussions, however, they agreed that experience in working together was more important, and it would pay better in the long run if they aimed for community benefits rather than personal gain. They then invested in a small community-run rice mill. "Thai farmers are in a weak position because they have not been able to control the whole process of production. But if they have their own mill, they can not only control the rice prices better, but they can increase their income by producing rice-related goods such as animal feed and fuel from rice husks," Dr Artha explained. Since the rice mill, though still in operation, is already getting run-down, the villagers decided to use their community funds to build a new mill and to buy the necessary machines. It will be completed this year. The rice from their mill is sold under the FRDN Rice brand name. The packaging and marketing is done by the FRDN team. It is available in Nakhon Phanom, Khon Kaen, and Maha Sarakham through schools, NGOs, and other channels. To be more self-reliant, villagers have fostered various sources of income, including raising fish, chickens and ducks. In addition to being famous for its khao hom mali (fragrant rice), Ban Kham Thao is also blessed with abundant fish. "Previously, villagers got very low prices for their fish. So we help them add value to their goods. Their dried fish now sells very well to tourists in Nakhon Phanom," Dr Artha said. Ban Kham Thao also has an abundance of pineapples, but they generally fetch low prices. The FRDN team and the villagers are now working to together to develop pineapple products. Both academics and villagers benefit greatly from working together, Dr Artha said. "For our part, we must learn about the community, both its strengths and weaknesses. The main concept of community development is learning together from society and sharing know-how with one another." "We academics have acquired valuable knowledge from villagers, especially from their local wisdom. Meanwhile, we invite academics in different fields to share their expertise with the villagers. Armed with new knowledge, the villagers can develop their own community and also exchange their newly acquired information with farmers from other communities," he said. Ever-stronger from new agricultural knowledge, Ban Kham Thao farmers are facing a new challenge: to rethink their way of life and to choose between going along with mainstream development or working toward self-reliance. "To be self-reliant, farmers must do more than grow rice and sell their labour. They need to develop their own community to stand on their own feet. If they can do so, external factors such as the economic crisis can't hurt them as much." Dr Artha blames rural poverty on Thailand's past development policies, which he says plunge farmers into debt and deprive them of their dignity. "Those community development projects are like waves washing against the shore and then disappearing. There's no follow up," Dr Artha said. After launching the FRDN, its members set up three other organisations, namely the Farmers' Institution in Nakhon Phanom, the Research Networks for Development of Isan Farmer Institution and the Farmer Asian Institution. Through the Farmers Institution, farmers from different villages can exchange their agricultural knowledge and provide assistance to one another. "We have to expand the learning network among farmers by helping them exchange experiences both within and outside the region," Dr Artha said. The Research Networks for Development of Isan Farmer Institution, meanwhile, aims to encourage more villagers, particularly young people, to participate in local development activities. The goal of the Farmers Asian Institute, meanwhile, is to expand cooperation and learning networks among farmers in Asian countries. "We plan to organise some joint projects among farmers in Asian countries, especially in development programmes. Through those collaborations, farmers can learn from one another about how to solve their problems," according to Dr Artha. The FRDN also plans to set up a farming study centre in the region sometime in the near future. Among its objectives is to provide information about the farmers' products directly to consumers. "A tree can flourish well if we water it deeply enough-down to its roots. In the same way, the country can develop securely if its foundation, or the farm sector, is firm and strong. In addition to water, the tree also needs fertile soil and attentive care. "Now, it seems that the government just sprays some water at the top of the tree," Dr Artha quipped. "How can we expect that tree to survive?" Info for donations: - Name of organisation: Fund for Research and Development Networks (FRDN) - Contact person: Dr Artha Nantachukra - Address: Office of the director of Piyamaharachalai School, Muang district, Nakhon Phanom, 48000 - Tel: (042) 513-613 - Account information: Siam Commercial Bank, Nakhon Phanom Branch, savings account no: 604-2-16613-5. - "We care" is a fortnightly series honouring people who believe in giving. In addition to supporting these causes, you can let us know about people who unselfishly help others so we can make more people aware of their efforts. Fax "We care" on 240-3668 or call 240-3700 ext 3208 or 3212. Email can be sent to sanitsuda@bangkokpost.net. For a comprehensive list of charities covered by Outlook's "We Care" series, see the Bangkok Post Web site at www.bangkokpost.net/outlookwecare.		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! 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