The project to promote and develop organic agricultural products supports farmers in generating income from herbs and economic insects.

25 June,2025

    Ms. Thanyathitha Boonyamaneekul, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics , OAE, MOAC, revealed the results of the project to promote and develop organic agricultural products to enter the bioeconomy supply chain, which aims to develop farmers’ potential to produce quality herbs and economic insects in quantities that meet market demand. Agencies under the MOAC are involved in the integration, namely the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Agricultural Land Reform Office,Department of Agricultural, Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Cooperative Promotion Department as the responsible agency, and OAE responsible for monitoring and evaluating the project.
    In the past fiscal year 2024, the project was successful. Overall, knowledge was transferred to 3,150 farmers, 92.06 percent of whom had increased income, and the value of organic agricultural products within the project increased by 38.88 percent, which is in line with the goals of the sub-master plan for organic agriculture, which specifies that organic agricultural products have increased value.
    For the fiscal year 2025, the project has been continuously driven. By setting a target to train and develop the potential of 4,850 farmers, the results of the operation (October 2024 - May 2025) in terms of the operations of the DAE, which has developed the potential of 1,810 farmers who produce herbs and economic insects, currently developed the knowledge and skills of farmers to increase the efficiency of herbal and economic insect production to meet market demand for 1,810 people, reaching the target in 57 provinces.
    In addition, from the field visit of OAE by CPPE in Khon Kaen Province between May 12 - 17, 2025,by following up on the results of the project implementation of the Nong Saeng Community Enterprise Group, Ban Haet District, currently has 30 group members, with Ms. Maneechan Yothatun as the group president. Farmers started planting herbs for the first year, such as fingerroot, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, etc. The project has come to promote knowledge covering all aspects, including production, planting, plot maintenance, prevention, and elimination of weeds and pests in herbal production. This resulted in farmers having an average income of 3,051 baht per household per year from selling their produce.
    The Nong Song Hong District Cricket Farming Group has 14 members, with Ms. Supee Changtham as the group president. The group was established and started raising crickets in its first year. After joining the project, farmers started raising Gryllus bimaculatus and Acheta domesticus. The project promoted farm management, care, feeding, and pest control in cricket farming. This resulted in farmers having an average income of 2,771 baht per household per year from selling their produce.
    Overall, most of the farmers in both groups are rice farmers. It can be seen that after joining the project, farmers have increased their income. In addition, all farmers have applied the knowledge they have gained and have connected production and marketing networks with sources of purchasing produce in nearby areas, such as Sirindhorn Hospital, Nong Saeng Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital, and local merchants.
    Between June and July 2025,CPPE has a plan to continuously monitor the project in Songkhla, Trang, Surat Thani, Lampang, Sukhothai, and Phitsanulok provinces. Project implementation will be carried out by relevant agencies under the project, such as the ALRO, which is supporting solar drying facilities and training courses on herbal processing using solar drying facilities; DOA on the preparation of prototype plots for local herbal plant production technology and the development of prototype products from local herbal plants; OPSMOAC on the production of quality herbal raw materials to meet standards; and CPD on the provision of training to provide knowledge on the production of quality herbal plants according to GAP, organic, or other standards, as well as the reduction of herbal plant costs throughout the system. The OAE will report on the results of the project implementation in due course.

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