The Minister of Industry is advancing efforts to stop the burning of sugarcane fields. in Kanchanaburi Province to prevent fine particulate matter PM 2.5 pollution.
On 9 January 2026, Mr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, Minister of Industry, accompanied by Mr. Natthaphon Rangsitpol, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and officials from affiliated agencies, visited activities promoting a Thai sugarcane and sugar industry free from field burning. Ms. Warittha Sanguansermsri, Governor of Kanchanaburi Province, and relevant officials welcomed them and presented local information at the Regional Sugarcane and Sugar Industry Promotion Center Region 1 and Thamaka Sugar Company Limited in Kanchanaburi.
The Minister of Industry and delegation toured the sugarcane breeding center under the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board, including the sugar quality analysis laboratory (CCS), molecular biology operations building, sugarcane breeding mixing plant, and held discussions with local sugarcane farmer representatives in Kanchanaburi Province.
Next, the Minister and delegation received a briefing on the fresh sugarcane harvesting process, cane intake at the mill, toured the sugar quality analysis facilities, and the mobile laboratory of the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board. They then visited sugarcane plots near the factory, observing fresh cane harvesting using sugarcane harvesters and agricultural machinery used in the fields.
Previously, the Ministry of Industry has continuously implemented measures to reduce burning. The development of these measures can be divided into five phases. Phase 5.0 builds on successes from the 2025/2026 production season, representing the next step toward an environmentally friendly sugarcane and sugar industry. The Ministry has proposed incentive payments based on efficiency, use of satellite imagery technology, and application of meteorological data such as atmospheric pressure and wind direction to effectively control sugarcane burning through spatial management and the application of scientific, technological, and digital technologies.
Therefore, the Ministry of Industry has assigned the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board to drive measures increasing fresh cane harvesting to reduce burning, reflecting cooperation among farmers, sugar mills, and all sectors. Collaboration with key government agencies has been elevated, notably with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, and Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. This collaboration led to signing a memorandum of understanding on controlling sugarcane and field crop burning to prevent fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution.
The goal is to integrate cooperation among government agencies to address sugarcane burning during the 2025/2026 to 2026/2027 production seasons, emphasizing reduction of burning both before and after harvest, alongside minimizing PM 2.5 impacts. This will be achieved through knowledge exchange, expertise sharing, technology use, and operational networks among agencies to produce sustainable economic, social, and environmental outcomes.