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Published on October 9, 2007

They hope their efforts will ensure the survival of Thailand's land-based economy.

The bank has 5.6 million farms as customers, but half of these are run by owners older than 50. This could mean fewer farmers in the future.

Bank president Thirapong Tangthirasunan said a survey of recent university graduates found most young people did not want to work on the land.

They seek jobs in the cor-porate world and government instead.

The bank and the univer-

sity yesterday launched a programme they hope will create

a new generation of farmer.

It encourages university gra-duates to work on their family farms.

It will provide agricultural know-how and training in developing business plans for farms that will ensure their professional management. Once plans have received bank approval these young farmers will be given a Bt20,000 bankroll.

The programme is aimed at producing 50 young farmers in its initial stages.

Thirapong said the bank

had supported young graduate farmers in the past, but without sound business plans they had failed to develop their family farms.

"The project encourages them to create value from their farms," he said.

It encourages the development of new products from crops. He cited Japanese farmers making non-chemical plastics from rice.

The Nation