Thailand officials clarify EV agricultural machinery costs

Thai officials have clarified that there is no plan to purchase electric vehicle (EV) rice harvesters at 16 million baht each, following reports of a potential misunderstanding. The confusion stemmed from a miscommunication regarding a large-scale agricultural project.

Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Suriya Juangroongruangkit apologized for the error, explaining that he mistakenly referred to 500 vehicles instead of 500 community rice centers. The actual proposal involves purchasing 2,543 EV tractors for approximately 1.6 million baht per unit, with a total budget of 8 billion baht. These tractors are intended to help prepare land for low-carbon rice cultivation.

Arnon Nontree, Director-General of the Department of Rice, noted that the initiative aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower production costs for farmers. While EV machinery requires a higher initial investment, officials estimate it will save approximately 5 billion baht in fuel costs over 14 years compared to diesel alternatives and allow farmers to command higher prices for low-carbon rice.