Suchart Praises Sugarcane Farmers and Sugar Mills for Efforts to Reduce PM2.5 Dust; Burnt Cane Intake Falls to 3.80% Below Standard
Thailand's sugar industry exceeded air quality goals this season, keeping burnt sugarcane intake to just 3.80% across 58 mills—well below the 10% limit set to reduce PM2.5 pollution.
Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, monitored operations at the Air Pollution Control Center under the Pollution Control Department and commended sugarcane farmers and sugar mills across the country for their concrete cooperation in advancing government policy to reduce PM2.5 dust pollution. Following the closure of the 2568/2569 production season, burnt sugarcane entering mills accounted for only 3.80%, below the set standard, with Ratchasima Sugar Mill (Bang Wean) recording the lowest proportion at 0.25%.
Surin Vorakitdhamma, Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, reported that the policy limited burnt sugarcane intake to no more than 10% to control PM2.5 during the production season (December 2, 2568 – May 3, 2569). A total of 58 mills across 29 provinces processed over 105.86 million tons of sugarcane, comprising 101.84 million tons of fresh cane and 4.02 million tons of burnt cane (3.80%).
Six mills achieved burnt sugarcane intake below 1%. Despite facing challenges this year including labor shortages in sugarcane harvesting and drought, the sector successfully met the burning control targets, reflecting the cooperation of all sectors in reducing environmental and public health impacts.
