Delayed sugar payments to be probed

PUBLISHED : 27 Jun 2026 at 05:57

Industry Minister Varawut Silpa-archa says he will look into delays in financial aid for sugar cane farmers joining the government's campaign to cut fresh cane and curb haze from burning.

Officials pledged to pay farmers 120 baht per tonne for harvested cane, rewarding those who switched from the labour‑intensive traditional method.

"So far we have not received the money," said a farmer who participated in a rally at the ministry yesterday.

Farmer groups led by the Thailand Sugarcane Planters Federation staged a protest over delayed payments and voiced concern about the Cane and Sugar Board, which has excluded farmer representatives.

"I will forward these issues to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to seek solutions," Mr Varawut told farmers who submitted a petition letter to him.

He said the cabinet approved a budget of 477 million baht for the Industry Ministry on June 23. This budget will be allocated to farmers who have not yet received financial assistance, said Mr Varawut.

Farmers said shifting to fresh‑cane cutting has reduced burning to just 3.8% of total harvests.

But with no money from the government, "many farmers feel they are being deceived," said the farmer.

The Cane and Sugar Board previously called for thorough surveys of areas where fresh cane was cut to verify farmers' eligibility for payments.

The Industry Ministry wants to reduce the amount of burned sugar cane to cut PM2.5 levels and avoid a negative impact on Thai sugar exports, resulting from global concerns over carbon dioxide emissions from cane burning.

PM2.5 particles, which measure less than 2.5 microns in diameter, can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause long-term health damage.

The farmer groups accused industry permanent secretary Nattapol Rangsitpol of failing to speed up a procedure to put their representatives on the Cane and Sugar Board, which consists of representatives from the government, farmers and sugar millers.