2 Big Sugar Companies to Support New Economic Model BCG & Sustainable Cane & Sugar Industries
Two leading cane and sugar companies of Thailand, Mitr Phol Group and KTIS, attended the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG): Economic Model towards Sustainable Development assembly and signed an agreement for the project on mobilizing development of bioeconomy, renewable economy and BCG models. The agreement aims to campaign sugar cane farm owners on sustainable farming, namely fresh cane cutting, use of biodegradable pesticides as well as sugar cane harvesters. Doing so will stabilize profession of the farm owners and upgrade cane-based products by using various innovations to add their values.
Mr. Isara Vongkusolkit, the company chairman and head of the group on agricultural innovations for food and energy, also participated in the assembly, particularly the session, “Empowering for Mobilizing BCG to Practicality” under the topic, “Upgrading Agricultural Products to High Value Ones with Innovation”. 3 projects highighted were 1. Purified alcohol project in Chaiyaphum and Suphan Buri provinces, 2. Yeast innovation: beta-glucan yeast extract in Chaiyaphum and Amnart Charoen and 3. Pre-biotic healthy food innovations: Fructo Oligosaccharides in Suphan Buri. They were expected to boost local economy from the grass-root level towards real sustainability without leaving anyone behind.
The KTIS was also another company joining the BCG model. Mr. Natthapan Siriviriyakul, the vice president of Kaset Thai International Sugar Corporation Public Company Limited or KTIS, the leader of sugar and integrated industries, said that one of the company’s policy was living sustainably with local communities, which corresponded to the BCG model, because the KTIS had to stabilize income and profession of agriculturalists and local labors according to bioeconomy. Such economy will add values for agricultural products as well as serving as renewable economy. The KTIS is now employing the zero-waste factory model for its production lines; that is, reusing various products.
Also, the economy is considered the green one because it is environmentally friendly, encouraging farmers to reduce chemical substances and promoting non-toxic lifestyles for pest management. Besides, fresh cane cutting is promoted among farmers as cane harvested in this way will be the first one for extraction. Also, farmers are entitled to low interest loans for purchasing sugar cane harvesters, which are crucial in fresh cane cutting, apart from using the company’s harvesters to pick up products right in their farm. All of the activities define the abbreviated BCG.
Mr. Natthapan added that a project under the bioeconomic policy was the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex, supervised by GGC KTIS Bioindustrial Co. Ltd., the KTIS’ joint venture. This project has 50-50 proportion between the GGC and the KTIS Bioethanol Co. Ltd., 100% shares of which are held by the KTIS along with the GGC Chemical Co. Ltd. The GGC belongs to the group under the Global Green Chemical Public Company Limited. Although the project was affected by the Covid-19, particularly delayed import and installment of a machine, it is expected to complete by the cane extraction period in 2021/2022, especially in the fourth quarter of 2021.
