“ตรัง-สตูล” โมเดลตลาดนำการผลิต นำร่องสวนยางแล้ว 8,200 ไร่ เตรียมขยายจังหวัดใกล้เคียง"Trang-Satun" Model Market Leading Production Pilot in Rubber Plantations Expanded to 8,200 Rai, Preparing to Expand to Nearby Provinces

If one were to ask which area in Thailand produces the most rubber trees, the unanimous answer would be the southern region (Krabi, Chumphon, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phuket, Yala, Ranong, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani). This is due to its geographical advantages and climatic conditions that are suitable for rubber cultivation. Consequently, rubber has become one of the important economic crops in the South and Thailand, recognized for its yield, volume, and quality, making Thailand one of the world’s largest rubber producers, leading to a golden age of rubber in the past several decades.

An overview of rubber in Thailand indicates that there are over 20 million rai of rubber plantations spread across 60 provinces nationwide, including the eastern region, northeastern region, northern region, and central region, capable of producing more than 4.9 million tons of natural rubber annually. This output has generated significant income for rubber farmers and resulted in considerable job creation in the industrial sector.

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Currently, the export of rubber products, both natural rubber latex and rubber wood sold in international markets, has been suffering from continuously declining rubber prices for more than five years, in addition to the issue of rubber overproduction in the market. Although the government has attempted to resolve these issues by seeking additional foreign markets, such as India, it has still not succeeded in raising rubber prices.

Moreover, purchasing countries are trying to push rubber prices down using various non-tariff barriers, invoking sustainable forest management standards, such as encroaching on forests to plant rubber, the use of certain chemicals, improper rubber tree cutting, and the failure to conserve protected areas and wildlife, as justifications for lowering prices. This has undoubtedly impacted the competitiveness of the Thai rubber industry.

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Many countries are now beginning to adapt and widely implement sustainable forest management systems that adhere to international standards. This sustainability certification standard is voluntary and depends on specific market requirements, which do not necessarily mandate certification from any particular organization but require certificates of sustainable forest management as part of the transaction. This issue has impacted both natural rubber latex and rubber wood products from Thailand, which primarily rely on foreign markets. It is now time for Thailand to promote rubber plantations in accordance with national sustainable forest management standards, which will not only gain recognition equivalent to international standards but also upgrade the Thai timber industry along with its related products.

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To ensure the sustainable management of economic forests according to Thai and international standards, operators in forest management must adhere to the principles and guidelines set out under two main industrial product certification standards: Sustainable Forest Management Standard (TIS 14061), or (มอก.14061), and Chain of Custody Standard for Forest Based Products (TIS 2861), or (มอก.2861).

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Thailand Forest Certification Council (Thailand Forest Certification Council: TFCC) under the supervision of the Agricultural Industry Institute and the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), which is a member of the PEFC* as the National Governing Body (NGB) for standards TIS 14061 and TIS 2861 (*PEFC: Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, headquartered in Switzerland, with over 50 member countries worldwide).

This pilot project began with an official meeting of the Cabinet (Cabinet) outside of the premises in Phuket Province to drive Thailand to become the world's rubber center (Thailand Green Rubber), leading to the advancement of the Thai rubber industry and revitalizing the Andaman economy.

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Many may wonder why Trang and Satun Provinces?

This initiative aims to create incentives for rubber farmers in other areas to use this model to improve the rubber production process to meet quality standards and engage in international trade. It represents a collaboration between the government and the private sector to develop and expand through cooperative efforts since Trang and Satun Provinces are well-suited for rubber plantation management.

คลองปาง Rubber Plantation Cooperative, Trang Province covers 2,800 rai and IRC (Innovate Rubber (Thailand) Public Company Limited) is our first pairing, connecting production operators with primary producer cooperatives. The next pairing involves the Rubber Plantation in Satun Province, covering 5,400 rai, and Southland Rubber Co., Ltd., totaling 8,200 rai across both provinces.

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This market model serves as a prototype for developing and enhancing quality, standards, and cost control, while also providing resilience for rubber farmers in the area to improve their livelihoods.

The project plans to expand into adjacent provinces, where operators can express their intent to the Thailand Forest Certification Council (TFCC).

TFCC will support the establishment of FM / CoC* certification standards to enhance market value for both parties' products (*FM / CoC: Forest Management / Chain of Custody), categorized into two groups as follows:

Cooperatives or Rubber Producers will receive training and preparation according to certification standards:

• Training will develop planting processes and forest management according to TIS 14061 to reduce costs.

• Training will develop the primary processing and supply chain management according to TIS 2861 to reduce costs and connect output to international standards.

Factories/Operators/Private Companies will receive training and preparation according to certification standards, along with special pricing for certification applications (discounts for FTI members).

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• It helps develop rubber plantations and Thai rubber products to ensure sustainable management and compliance with national standards (Industrial Product Standards, Sustainable Forest Management Standard (TIS 14061), and Chain of Custody Standard for Forest Based Products (TIS 2861)).

• It helps elevate the quality of life for rubber farmers in terms of economics, society, occupational health, safety, and environmental impact awareness in the long run.

• It enhances the competitiveness of both domestic and international markets from both natural rubber latex and rubber wood products that meet national standards.

• It improves the quality of life for rubber farmers by reducing costs and providing guaranteed sales channels, increasing household incomes by an average of 3,500-3,800 Baht, generating approximately 2.1 million Baht in economic value from the project's activities.

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Thailand is recognized as the largest producer of rubber and has significant output. However, the market is no longer limited to Thailand alone, as expectations for quality systems and product standards are high. The question remains: how can we continue to advance to compete in the global market and meet the growth of the industry in the future? This can only be achieved by focusing on "Quality and Standards" to eliminate all related obstacles.