The Cabinet approved an additional budget of 477.05 million baht to incentivize sugarcane farmers to harvest 100% high-quality fresh sugarcane to help solve the PM2.5 dust problem during the 2024/2025 production season.
At the Cabinet meeting on 23 June 2026, Ms. Ploytale Laksamee Sangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet reviewed the resolution from 17 June 2025 regarding measures to assist sugarcane farmers harvesting 100% high-quality fresh sugarcane to reduce fine dust (PM2.5) during the 2024/2025 production season. The Cabinet approved an additional 477.05 million baht to support the Ministry of Industry's incentive program for these farmers as follows.
1. Sugarcane farmers harvesting fresh sugarcane to reduce PM2.5 dust with no burnt cane in the same contract. If the contract includes long tops, leaf sheaths, or contaminants, those parts are deducted, with the contaminant proportion not exceeding 5%. This applies to 1,053 farmers delivering 5.96 million tons of high-quality fresh sugarcane, with assistance totaling 411.10 million baht.
2. Sugarcane farmers delivering 100% high-quality fresh sugarcane to ethanol plants, totaling 3,505 farmers with 0.90 million tons of high-quality fresh sugarcane, receiving assistance amounting to 62.34 million baht.
3. Sugarcane farmers delivering 100% high-quality fresh sugarcane to brown sugar factories, totaling 109 farmers with 0.05 million tons of high-quality fresh sugarcane, receiving assistance of 3.61 million baht.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved extending the implementation period of these assistance measures for the 2024/2025 production season from the original end date of December 2025 to August 2026.