It is reported by bangkokpost.

Thai sugar cane output is expected to fall significantly this year because of drought, but millers and farmers may be able to cope with the decrease thanks to the government's bio-, circular and green (BCG) economic model.

The model sees sugar factories use parts of cane plants that are often seen as refuse for a fuel source, while farmers can generate more income by abandoning their traditional method of clearing the fields by burning, which is blamed for unleashing PM2.5 ultra-fine dust into the air.

Multi-billion-baht power and automotive industries need sugar cane as an alternative fuel, making the plants more valuable than simply being a raw material processed into sugar for use in the kitchen. This should allow farmers and millers to sell sugar cane across markets during periods of drought.

Thailand's sugar cane output decreased by 8.2 million tonnes to 66.7 million tonnes in the 2020-21 crop year, down from 74.9 million tonnes in the previous crop year, said Siriwut Siempakdi, president of the public relations working group at Thai Sugar Millers Corporation (TSMC).

The sugar cane-crushing season, which started on Dec 10 last year, ended on March 31 this year.