'Black sugar' strikes againEarly this week, residents of some provinces that serve as hubs for cash crops like rice and sugar cane started to choke on PM2.5 fine dust as many farmers began to burn farm waste. This year, the "black sugar" problem is likely to increase because of the shortage of migrant labour amid the Covid-19 restrictions. In reality, half of the sugar cane is harvested using the burning process, according to information from the Thai Sugar Millers Corporation (TSMC). But the shortage of migrant workers will only see a surge in the "black sugar" problem. The government and the consumer protection sector need to educate the public about the relationship between PM2.5 and "black sugar".

Source: Bangkok Post January 28, 2021 23:48 UTC