Thailand promotes smart agriculture initiatives

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is advancing smart farming initiatives by collaborating with university experts to launch a pilot project for smart agriculture development.

Speaking at a signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the FTI and Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, FTI chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul said that the project will be based on the concept of agriculture on demand, meaning demand from industries in certain areas will determine which and how many crops farmers will grow.

Kriengkrai said technologies and innovations will be applied to farming to add value to the produce and connect them with industries.

According to the FTI, Thailand's agricultural sector generates 1.5 trillion THB (41.2 billion USD) in value, contributing 8% to the country's GDP. There are roughly 12 million farmers in Thailand, compared with 6.15 million workers in the industrial sector, which shows there is room for further development of Thai agriculture.

Kriengkrai said Thailand has high potential to strengthen its agri-business sector because the country has a rich variety of natural resources.

Meanwhile, Natworapol Rachsiriwatcharabul, chancellor of Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon said that the university is ready to support the project by advising on farming and technological innovations, helping the FTI run the project inside the university's compound.

The university and the FTI plan to share the know-how gained from this project with farmers in other provinces and members of the FTI.

The FTI previously established the Institute for Agro-Based Industries to work with the government on building a new generation of farmers who can combine modern technologies with marketing plans to better sell their products