Agricultural zones set for six crops

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has designated agricultural zones nationwide for six economic crops to improve productivity.

The ministry expects the zone designations to help farmers increase crop yields.

The designation of each zone is based on physical conditions of each area across the country such as soil properties, water resources, and climatic conditions including temperature, sunlight and moisture.

The six economic crops under the zoning scheme are rice, field corn (maize), rubber, oil palm, sugar cane and cassava.

Information on the zoning programme will be sent to farmers and provincial governors nationwide so they can make decisions and plans on which agricultural products to promote in their areas.

"The ministry will inform farmers that what kind of crops are suitable for their land. Then they have to make their own decision whether they want to continue planting their current crop or change to a new one," Agriculture Minister Yukol Limlaemthong said.

Under the agricultural-zoning plan, 75 provinces, 793 districts and 5,669 subdistricts are deemed suitable for rice plantation. Sugar cane can be planted in 51 provinces, 432 districts, and 2,369 subdistricts.

Areas suitable for maize are found in 42 provinces, while rubber is suited to 68 provinces and 499 districts.A total of 49 provinces, 478 districts and 2,314 subdistricts are suitable for cassava, while 26 provinces, 185 districts and 856 subdistricts are suitable for oil palm.

Yukol said the ministry would introduce incentives to persuade farmers to change their plantations in accordance with the physical conditions of their land, such as access to water resources or infrastructure.