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Published on October 9, 2007

The event is aimed at exchanging information and monitoring all credit lines to farmers, in order to promote sustainable development across the globe.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is organising the annual event, which is expected to include 1,000 participants from 125 countries, including bankers, experts and policy-makers.

They will meet in Bangkok's Navy Convention Hall to brainstorm and exchange views on developing member countries' farm sectors via appropriate financial schemes.

Thailand won the honour of conducting this type of world congress for the first time after competing vigorously with Vietnam to convince the congress bidding committee in Canada early this year.

This year's theme will be "The Contribution of Agricultural and Rural Economies to Sustainable and Equitable Development".

BAAC president Thirapong Tangthirasunan last week said Thailand would focus on His Majesty the King's sufficiency-economy initiative, as many participants had expressed eagerness to learn more about the concept.

Topics include food sufficiency, addressing population and food-sourcing issues, a fair share of benefits and responsibilities at the grass-roots level and bringing technology closer to grass-roots communities.

A field trip is planned to selected Royal Development Study Centres.

The big event will receive cooperation from five credit associations: the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association, Confederation Internationale du Credit Agricole (CICA), Associacion Latinoamericana de Instituciones Financieras para el Desarrollo, the African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association and the Near East-North Africa Regional Agricultural Credit Association.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over the opening ceremony, followed by Thai Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn and CICA president Rene Carron as keynote speakers.

The congress is expected to issue a "Bangkok Declaration" for tighter cooperation and information exchange on agriculture, finance, technology and farm management among member countries.

Thirapong said participants would also focus on closely monitoring credit lines to farmers that are aimed at advancing sustainable development worldwide.

The BAAC has prepared a budget of Bt30 million for the congress, of which Bt5 million came directly from the bank and the rest from private-sector and UN co-sponsors, including Thai Life Insurance, IBM, Thai Airways International and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

"We hope the congress will encourage people around the world, but particularly in

Thailand, to concentrate more on the sufficiency theory for real sustainable development," he said.

Achara Pongvutitham

The Nation