Thung Kula Farm hits shelves

Director-general Supatra Thanaseniwat said the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry had begun the project in 2004 to encourage farmers to produce standard jasmine rice from the Thung Kula Ronghai area for export.

"Jasmine rice from Thung Kula Ronghai is already very well known among traders as well as consumers both in the domestic and overseas markets. The department wants to encourage Thai farmers to build brand awareness of Thung Kula Farm among those traders and consumers," she said.

The Cooperative Promotion Department and other agencies are operating the project using the integrated-area-approach management method. The government allocated a budget of Bt195 million to the department to run the project with 19 cooperatives in the Thung Kula Ronghai area.

Supatra said the department was running the project with 85,000 farmers in five provinces: Surin, Roi Et, Si Sa Ket, Yasothon and Maha Sarakham. There are 1.27 million rai of rice land in Thung Kula Ronghai, which straddles these provinces.

The project is expected to increase farmers' income by Bt19,680 per year per family, she added.

Supatra said the department had educated the farmers about cooperative management and integrated marketing. It has also encouraged them to improve their rice mills and build a new one to cater to standard jasmine rice.

The agency has supported farmers in establishing jasmine-rice distribution centres in easy-access communities, as well as promoting the Thung Kula Farm brand through trade exhibitions across the country.

"Thung Kula Farm is distributed through shopping malls and modern trade stores starting with Siam Paragon, Seri Centre and Big C and will be expanded into other shopping centres in the future. The department also expects to export Thung Kula Farm," she said.