Innovation and Sustainable Development in Forest Conservation and the Agricultural Sector Field Trip at Kubota Farm, Chonburi Province

On 22 June 2023, the Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led a delegation comprising Ambassadors/Embassy Representatives and foreign media in Thailand to visit the "Kubota Farm" in Ban Bueng District, Chonburi Province as part of the "Innovation and Sustainable Development in Forest Conservation and the Agricultural Sector" Field Trip.

Kubota Farm is a modern farming development project in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP), Khok-Nong-Na Agricultural Model and the Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model (BCG). The farm is run by Siam Kubota Corporation Co., Ltd., a joint venture between Thailand (SCG) and Japan.

The delegation was welcomed with remarks by Mr. Junji Ota, President of the Siam Kubota Corporation Co., Ltd. and a briefing on the concept behind KUBOTA (Agri) Solutions and its implementation by Mr. Pisanu Milintanuch, Assistant Managing Director for General Affairs, Sales, Marketing and Services.

Following the briefing, the delegation visited different zones within the Kubota Farm including the Precision Agriculture for rice farming and post-harvest crops zone, the New Theory Agriculture zone and the Horticultural Innovation zone, before returning to Bangkok.

The delegation learned about the private sector's efforts in using innovation to improve farming practices, including increasing the yield and value of agricultural products, as well as their efforts to promote skills-building for Thai farmers in the transition toward Smart Farming. These efforts are yet another example of the best practices helping to address the challenges faced in the Thai agricultural sector. The delegation was particularly interested in how technology was leveraged to strengthen the capacity of Thailand's agricultural sector based on the New Farming Theory.