Successful results of the sustainable agriculture development project, Ban Suan Paan Safe Food Crop Production Community Enterprise
Produces safe vegetables according to organic agricultural standards, generating income for the community

      Mrs. Thanyathitha Boonyamaneekul, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics,OAE,MOAC, revealed the results of monitoring the sustainable agriculture development project, organic agricultural production development activities, which the Department of Agricultural Extension is the main responsible agency, by developing farmers to have knowledge in the production and management of organic agricultural products and to be more interested in entering the organic agricultural standard system in order to create added value for agricultural products and stable income for farmers, as well as maintaining safety for the health of farmers and consumers. In the organic agricultural production development activity in fiscal year 2024, the target was set to develop 5,000 farmers.
       Result of monitoring , it was found that farmers were able to develop knowledge in the production and management of organic agricultural products to meet the target of 5,000 farmers (100 percent of the target) and 3,206 farmers passed the initial plot assessment (64.12 percent of the target of 500 farmers) who are ready to enter the organic agricultural standard certification process. In this regard, the OAE, thro, visited sample farmer groups participating in the project and continuously developed organic agricultural production at the Ban Suan Paan community vegetable plot of the Ban Suan Paan Safe Food Crops Community Enterprise, Tambon Thang Ngam, Amphoe Wat Bot, Phitsanulok Province, which is considered another community enterprise group that is committed to producing safe vegetables and cares about the good health of themselves and the community. The group has been registered as a community enterprise since 2019, with Mrs. Samran Kunkong as the group president, along with more than 20 members who initiated the establishment of the Ban Suan Paan community vegetable plot. To produce safe vegetables for members, families, and neighbors in the community to consume vegetables that are free from chemicals and good for health, under the support of the Phitsanulok Provincial Agricultural Extension Office and various agencies, jointly pushing the group to upgrade its production to organic agricultural certification in a tangible manner, including helping to generate additional income for group members after rice farming and cassava planting, with 9 members who are ready to help produce in the community's allocated plots and have developed until receiving organic plant production source certification from the DOA (Thai Agricultural Standard,TAS, 9000). Currently, the Ban Suan Paan community vegetable plot has a total planting area of ​​4 rai, focusing on growing kitchen vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage, morning glory, kale, spring onions, coriander, and chili peppers. There are various vegetables that are rotated throughout the year. The produce can be collected and sold at the community market and the Friday market of Wat Bot Hospital, as well as sold to the Wat Bot Hospital kitchen every week. It helps generate additional income for group members of approximately 1,000 - 3,000 baht per person, resulting in the group having an income from selling vegetables from the community vegetable plot of approximately 10,000 - 12,000 baht per month or 120,000 - 144,000 baht per year. This does not include sales to general customers who come to buy from the plot and the benefits from group members taking safe produce to consume in their own households. For those interested in the guidelines for forming a community vegetable plot of the Ban Suan Paan Safe Food Crops Community Enterprise, please contact Mrs. Samran Kunkong, the group president, Tel. 061 684 6264, Ban Suan Paan Safe Food Crops Community Enterprise, Wat Bot District, Phitsanulok Province. In fiscal year 2025, the DOAE has adjusted the sustainable agriculture development project in the organic agricultural production development activity to the Collaborative Farming to meet organic agricultural standards under the Collaborative Farming project to increase productivity and production in preparation for farmers to enter organic agricultural standards. The target is 300 cases