“Surya Sengtong (สุริยาแสงทอง)” - Energizing Sustainable Farming in Tha Maka, Kanchanaburi

Project Team

Leader: Arun Kanchan (AIRI Fellow)

Members: Sivanappan Kumar, Watcharapong Rayayoi, Aphiwat Sukphoang, Ranadheer Mandadi, Mohammed Ershadullah

Background and Introduction

“Surya Sengtong” addresses several rural sustainability challenges. A key challenge is the reliance on conventional energy sources, contributing to financial hardship for farmers, especially during irrigation (dry) seasons. A prevalent knowledge gap regarding sustainable practices also hampers the transition to greener alternatives.

Key objectives of the project include implementing an educational program on sustainable practices for all farmers, installing solar power systems on eight farms across Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi, and launching a LINE-based app for farm management, aiming to reach 50% of the farming community in its first year. The project plans to use technology marketing techniques to overcome barriers to solar energy adoption and enhance farm management through digital tools.

Project Site

The test-bed site (the “Rai Rakkan” farm) is in Tha Maka district in Kanchanaburi province. The site comprises several plots of 20 rai (32,000 sq.m. or 3.2 hectares).

Proposed Project Actions and Deliverables

Project Actions:

• Project mobilization and survey (Months 1-3): Initiate the project with a kick-off meeting, identify stakeholders, conduct a solar power survey, and develop training materials with AIT experts.
• Capacity building and training (Months 3-7): Prepare a customer segmentation plan, conduct workshops and awareness campaigns on solar power and modern farming, and provide practical training on solar systems.
• Implementation and monitoring (Months 5-12): Support solar system installations and new farming techniques, develop and launch a management app, and continuously monitor and improve the project’s performance.

Project Deliverables:

• Initial phase outputs: Minutes of the initial meeting, survey results, initial marketing plan.
• Training and marketing materials: Documentation of training sessions, a final marketing plan, and records of progress meetings.
• Implementation and improvement reports: Records of solar installations and new farming systems, a functioning app, detailed performance reports, and a journal article post-project.