Kampang Petch Sugar believes that “to achieve success in the cane and sugar business, both farmers and the manufacturers must progress with stability and prosperity in parallel manner”.
Mr. Jaroon, founder of Kampang Petch Sugar, has stated for over 30 years that anyone with money can buy machinery for sugar mills but the true stability of the sugar mills depends on raw materials, which is sugarcane. So we must create career success for our sugarcane farmers. Make them rich from sugarcane cultivation; farmers will keep on planting sugarcane and be with us always. Our factories then will be secured.”
This statement has become the philosophy of the company’s sugar mill operation by Kampang Petch Sugar that “Wealthy sugarcane farmers secure KKampang Petch Sugar,” in which the executives and every staff member have committed and practiced to be the most important mission since then.
The Farmer Development Plan
In 1995, Kampang Petch Sugar executives took an observation trip to Australia to view the production of sugarcane. Australiais considered to be a country with the most advanced technology in the sugarcane and sugar industry in the world, especially regarding sugarcane farming. Each year, a lot of Thai’s have visited Australia for observation trips and purchased agricultural equipment and sugarcane breeds back to Thailand. However, they have failed with no results as seen in Australia. The company’s executives therefore realize that this results from applying sugarcane cultivation Australian style without real knowledge and true understanding behind it. Therefore, they decided to invite experts in the sugarcane cultivation from Australia to study and grow sugarcane in Thailand.
For many years, the group has researched and experimented on sugarcane cultivation in Thailand starting from using farm equipment from Australia. Eventually, the new approach is used by applying concepts and modern techniques from Australia.Some modifications were applied to suit the environment, climate and Thai agricultural machinery as well as proper guidelines for sugarcane cultivation. This knowledge and its development method is called “Sugarcane Farmer Development Plan”, which covers every step in sugarcane cultivation with consideration of timing, standards and quality.
With the objective to transfer knowledge in sugarcane cultivation to Thai sugarcane farmers in order that they can learn and apply the technique to their own fields, the company has practiced in its own farms, not in laboratories. When expected results have been realized, the technique is transferred to the interested sugarcane farmers, and later, promoted to sugarcane farmers under contract with the company.
Since then, the sugarcane cultivation by sugarcane farmers under contract with the company has progressed rapidly and effectively. Sugarcane farmers have adopted the techniques until they have become common practices in promotional areas for the company. Therefore, it is considered that the Sugarcane Farmer Development Plan is truly the pioneering approach of the company for the sugarcane cultivation development.
Cane Seed Bank
Sugarcane cultivation in each season requires a lot of crops. Besides selection of sugarcane crops suitable for conditions in each plot, it is also essential to adequately supply sugarcane crops and efficiently manage them for inexpensive costs.
Since sugarcane crops are expensive factors in production, Kampang Petch Sugar Group has launched the Sugarcane Bank Project, which supplies sugarcane crops in order to support new sugarcane farmers, who have just started farming, or old farmers, who want to change their own breed to the new one promoted by the factories.
Cane Irrigation systems
Water is an extremely important factor in sugarcane cultivation. Most sugarcane plantations in Thailand are out of an irrigation zone. Therefore, sugarcane production depends on the amount and distribution of rain each year. In order to reduce the risk of sugarcane production which depends on the climate, Kampang Petch Sugar focuses on water resource development and water supply systems for sugarcane cultivation.
– Development of Water Resources in Sugarcane Farm
Kampang Petch Sugar has cooperated with sugarcane farmers to develop water resources for sugarcane cultivation. By launching a project in cooperation with 11-District of NakhonSawan Farmer Association, Si Quare Farmer Association, Phraya Pichai Son Farmer Association, and Department of Irrigation Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Kampangsaen Campus, NakhonPathom Province, the company has organized a project to primarily study potential water resources for utilizing in sugarcane farming. There are currently many water resources in development that are:
