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Published on October 22, 2007

The Agriculture Department has unveiled a new variety of sugar to commemorate His Majesty the King's 80th birthday.

Called Suphan Buri 80, the variety will provide a high yield of 17.79 tonnes per rai. Farmers can now buy the sugar stems at Bt1 each.

Jirakhon Khosaisewee, the department's deputy director-general, said that sugar cane was an economic crop that generated billions of baht for the economy.

In 2007, Thailand has exported 1.63 million tonnes of sugar worth Bt17.77 billion and 1.69 million tonnes of raw sugar worth Bt14.7 billion.

Sugar plantations cover 6.42 million rai in the Kingdom but the yield per rai is as low as 9.51 tonnes per rai.

The department's research centre in Suphan Buri invented the new variety after 11 years of research. It is adequately resistant to diseases.

The new variety is recommended for sandy soil in Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi. About 10,000 stems are available for sale.

The Nation