Rubber farmers given bio-extract from blackchin tilapia
Bio-extract made from blackchin tilapia has been delivered to rubber farmers nationwide as part of Thailand’s bid to eliminate alien fish species from natural water resources.
Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) director Narongsak Jaisamut explained on Thursday that the authority had purchased 600,000 kilograms of blackchin tilapia in August for producing about 1 million litres of bio-extract for rubber tree cultivation.
He said 600,000 litres of bio-extract was delivered to rubber farmers nationwide on September 30. The authority has planned to deliver the remaining 400,000 litres to other farmers, he said.
Narongsak expects the bio-extract delivery to other farmers to be completed by the rainy season of 2025,” he said, adding that the rainy season from May to July is suitable for using bio-extract on agricultural crops.
He confirmed that bio-extract made from blackchin tilapia helped reduce cultivation cost and boost productivity among rubber farmers.
He said the authority would continue processing bio-extract, adding the Department of Fisheries would deliver 200 tons of blackchin tilapia without charges for processing.
“Bio-extract processing from blackchin tilapia was considered RAOT’s success in tackling alien fish species infestation,” he said, adding that it helped boost farmers’ potential in rubber cultivation.
