Training Program on Internal Control System (ICS) and Organic Agriculture Standards

Ban Nam Om Organic Group, Kaset Wisai, Roi Et

        The Suthirat Yoovidhya Foundation is an organization that recognizes the importance of organic farming, or holistic agriculture that supports and benefits the ecosystem, increases biological diversity, and avoids the use of chemicals in all stages of production. Therefore, it develops organic farming systems to promote targeted groups of farmers to transform from chemical farming to organic farming. It also certifies them as organic under the SALANA PGS standard to improve the production standard, build quality yields, and generate sustainable income. This work is in line with the philosophy of Buriram Rajabhat University, higher education for local development with a mission to develop knowledge, produce graduates, and create quality educational opportunities for all while also providing academic services to communities and society to enhance the quality of life for people in the Northeastern region.Both organizations have thus joined forces to provide theoretical learning in conjunction with practical fieldwork in the pilot community of Group of Organic Rice Farming Baan Nam Om, Roi-Et. The objective is to provide students in the field of social development of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences with the opportunity to enhance their work experience with farmers in the area. It also aims to promote farmer’s understanding of organic farming standards and ICS to improve the quality of rice production that follows organic farming standards.

This practice was carried out through on-site training to provide knowledge and strengthen the community’s management system of organic farming. Additionally, ICS was established to serve as a guideline for managing and controlling the production of Jasmine Rice 105, Red Jasmine Rice, and Thanyasirin Glutinous Rice, to meet the standards of the IFOAM-accredited organic farming program, which is an international standard. Furthermore, The Suthirat Yoovidhya Foundation serves as an intermediary to facilitate futures trading between farmers and Salana Organic Village (Social Enterprise) Co., Ltd. for the purchase of 3 types of organic rice: Jasmine Rice 105, Red Jasmine Rice and Mali Nil Surin Rice, according to the terms of the futures trading contract at a fair price.

After being trained in organic system management within Group of Organic Rice Farming Baan Nam Om, Roi-Et members have developed an understanding of organic standards and a robust framework for managing agricultural production processes. It is anticipated that continued implementation of these practices will assist local farmers in cultivating high-quality and reliable crops, resulting in suitable income and a stronger household economy, ultimately leading to a more resilient community in the future.

Means in ICS
This is a handbook for farmers to use to guide internal operations and evaluate their agricultural plots to ensure that organic rice production meets the required organic farming standards. It includes:

New member recruitment
Farmers interested in the project must attend training on organic farming standards and organic farming production techniques, and participate in ongoing activities. They must willingly provide accurate information about their agricultural plots and comply with the group’s regulations. They are required to fill out various documents, including farm histories, land area management and pesticide usage history, etc. They must also consent to farm inspections to be evaluated and receive preliminary recommendations for improvement before being registered as members and receiving ID numbers.

Member’s farm inspection
To ensure that the crop yields of members meets the standards and hazardous chemicals are not used subsequently, farm inspections for members are divided into 4 categories: inspections for new member farms that have just registered for the first time, annual inspections at least twice a year in June-July and September-October, or according to the harvest period of the crops being inspected, special inspections or unannounced random inspections, and lastly, follow-up inspections to monitor the progress of addressing any deficiencies identified by the inspectors.

Farm certification
The certification process involves verifying that the production process and the produce from the farm comply with the specified organic farming standards. The certification committee will proceed with the certification process within 15 days after receiving the report from the internal farm inspector.

Crop yields estimation
The internal farm inspector of the organic farming project must collect yield estimation data prior to harvesting in order to obtain information on the agricultural yield that will occur.

Production, harvesting, storage, purchasing and transportation
The internal control system will determine the guidelines for farmers at each stage, starting from production, harvesting, storage, purchasing, and transportation to comply with standards and buyer’s requirements. For example, it will specify the duration of the planting period, the planting process, appropriate methods for pest control, and the period for fertilization, etc.

Member penalty
When there is a violation of regulations within the group, there will be a process of punishment ranging from light to severe or as decided by the committee of the organic farming certification. The committee will specify a certain period or appropriate measures depending on the case. The penalties will be recorded each time, and they could range from verbal and written warnings to fines, suspension of product purchases for a specified period, and so on.

Training Program on Internal Control System (ICS) and Organic Agriculture Standards

Ban Nam Om Organic Group, Kaset Wisai, Roi Et