Thailand has recorded positive results in efforts to curb PM2.5 air pollution, with sugarcane growers and sugar mills nationwide effectively reducing pre-harvest burning practices, according to the Air Pollution Control Communication Center (APCC) under the Pollution Control Department.
Data from the 2025-2026 harvest season, from Dec. 2 to May 3, showed that only 3.8% of sugarcane delivered to mills had been burned before harvesting, well below the Thai government’s ceiling of 10%. The Ang Vien Industry Company in Nakhon Ratchasima Province recorded the lowest rate of burned sugarcane at just 0.25%.
During the latest harvest season, 58 sugar mills across 29 provinces processed more than 105.8 million tonnes of sugarcane, of which burned cane accounted for around 4 million tonnes.
The giant Buddha statue of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen temple is seen amid air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 2, 2023. Photo by Reuters |
Pollution Control Department Director-General Surin Worakitthamrong said the achievement came despite labor shortages and drought conditions affecting the sugar industry.
He described the outcome as an encouraging sign in Thailand’s broader efforts to tackle PM2.5 pollution, particularly in sugarcane-growing areas, which are considered major sources of particulate emissions during the dry season.
Thai authorities said the results would provide an important basis for further improving measures to reduce sugarcane burning in future harvests, helping protect the environment and public health.
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