Mr Paisan Hongtong, Senior Executive Vice President of Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), announced the official launch of subsidy schemes and low-interest loan programmes under the Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming (Thai Rice GCF) Project, at the event ‘Driving Climate-Smart Rice by BAAC’s Financial Mechanism under the Thai Rice GCF Project’, co-organised with GIZ. The initiative aims to shift farmers’ rice farming practices towards climate-smart and low-greenhouse-gas-emission approaches by promoting the adoption of climate-smart technologies (CST). These technologies enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change while reducing environmental impacts.

The Thai Rice GCF project is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the private sector, and is implemented in collaboration with key partners including the Rice Department, the Department of Agricultural Extension, and GIZ, as well as public and private-sector organisations. With a five-year implementation period from 2023 to 2028, the project targets 21 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Ubon Ratchathani, Roi Et, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Kalasin, Chainat, Ang Thong, Pathum Thani, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Kamphaeng Phet, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Lopburi. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Rice Department, the Department of Agricultural Extension and partner organisations from both the public and private sectors attended the event, which was held at Jamniansarn Meeting Room, 24th Floor, Kaset Thanakarn Building, BAAC Headquarters.

Mr Paisan highlighted the need for urgency in a change to Thailand’s rice sector, as conventional rice farming practices require large volumes of water and continuous flooding of paddy fields, resulting in methane emissions – a major greenhouse gas. Moreover, Thailand is among the 16 countries identified as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change over the next 30 years, which is expected to reduce rice productivity, lead to income losses for farmers, and pose risks to farmers’ livelihoods as well as global food security.

Based on this background, BAAC places strong emphasis on promoting an integrated transition towards climate-smart rice farming. This shift is expected to increase agricultural productivity, enhance farmers’ incomes and quality of life, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the transition requires farmers and service providers to understand climate risks, select appropriate technologies suited to their farming areas and plan investments while systematically recording farming progress.

To address these challenges, BAAC’s financial mechanisms (or Climate-Smart Packages) serve as key incentives to encourage farmers to adopt and implement climate-smart rice farming practices. The financial mechanisms consist of two main programmes: 1. Climate-Smart Incentive (CSI) Under the Thai Rice GCF Project, a Climate-Smart Incentive (CSI) fund of approximately THB 300 million (EUR 7.6 million) has been allocated to support around 40,000 rice farmers in piloting climate-smart rice farming practices. The incentive is provided as partial financial support to encourage farmers to adjust their rice cultivation methods towards approaches that are more resilient to climate change and generate lower greenhouse gas emissions. Farmers may choose from three subsidy levels depending on the scale of implementation, starting from Package S with support rates set at THB 500, Package M for THB 1,000, and Package L for THB 1,600 per rai. Each farming household is eligible to receive incentives for a maximum of 10 rai.

2. Climate-Smart Loan (CSL) In parallel, BAAC has introduced the Climate-Smart Loan (CSL) scheme with a total credit line of THB 5 billion, offering preferential interest rates to eligible rice farmers under the Thai Rice GCF Project. The loans are available to farmers who have completed approved training programmes on climate-smart technologies (Basic CST) provided by the Rice Department and the Department of Agricultural Extension, as well as advanced training on investment planning and financial management (Climate-Smart Finance: CS-Fin) delivered by BAAC. The CSL enables farmers to access low-cost financing for working capital and for investments in adopting climate-smart technologies promoted by the project, as well as loans aligned with the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model for farmers seeking to adopt climate-smart practices and transform their rice farming approaches.

“Through the Climate Smart Incentive (CSI), we reward farmers for their stewardship, while the Climate Smart Loan (CSL) bridges the gap for the necessary upfront investments in technology. This integrated approach de-risks the transition, builds farmer confidence, and demonstrates how green finance can catalyse truly transformational change,” said Timo Menniken, country director of GIZ Thailand.

Farmers interested in participating in the Thai Rice GCF Project may contact district or provincial agricultural offices, rice seed centres, rice research centres or the Thailand Rice Science Institute. Upon completion of both training courses, farmers may apply for the CSI subsidy through BAAC officers, project trainers or BAAC branches where they are registered customers.For further information, farmers may contact BAAC branches in the 21 participating provinces or Office of Foreign Affairs at 02 558 6555 ext. 8957 or 8958.

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