Fields of sunflowers, and piled up dragon fruit at the roadside stalls are sheer spectacles that is only visible in Saraburi, a Thai province situated at the north of Bangkok. And you would be thrilled to know how the farmers here are using the latest technology to improve their life.
Earlier, if there were any problems with crops, farmers might just wait for the harvest time to realize if it was a substandard yield. Today, a color-coded dashboard is enough for them to identify the problems and take sufficient pre-emptive action.
There are companies working to provide data-driven recommendations to the farmers so that they can have better insight and take wise decisions. These IT companies are working to achieve the Thai government’s 4.0 visions, foster equality and promote self-reliance.
According to the plan, the country is likely to move towards being an equal country by fostering value-based and innovative industries. Businesses are using IT knowledge and resource to demonstrate simple living and an affordable smart farm, utilizing the local materials and technology.
Similarly, the companies focus on the development of low-investment and easy-to-handle IoT devices as well as a smart farm platform along with a mobile application for the farmers.
The Thailand Board of Investment is in complete support of urban farming and thus promotes of development of industries in Thailand, required to achieve 4.0 goals through a range of incentives and programs, granted to both the local businesses and the foreign investors.
Therefore, industries will receive grants from different ministries in Thailand that will also help with networking opportunities and PR. The Thailand BOI so far has assisted by offering tax benefits and facilitating visas as well as work permits alongside with assistance in establishing a business in Thailand to businesses involved in modern agricultural products, detection or tracking, and smart greenhouses, etc., as this will be a value addition in agriculture and will boost farmers’ incomes.
