A trend is emerging among rice farmers in the central plain of the Chao Phya river basin: they are changing their rice varieties and turning to more organic-farming methods in order to survive financially.

Despite the Kingdom's remarkable rice exports of Bt70 billion a year, farmers in the 15 provinces that make up the central plain - the backbone of the country's rice production - are becoming trapped in a circle of debt. Many of them feel they have reached the end of the line.

"More than 20 years now, three crops a year and 48-rai area for each crop, and what do I have to show for it? Bt200,000 of debt," said Prachak, a farmer in Chai Nat, just one of millions of central-plain farmers in this situation.

It seems unbelievable that some of the nation's so-called "first-grade" farmers could find themselves in such a situation considering the back-up they receive from the state, such as irrigation and other promotions.

In Nakhon Sawan, the average debt per family last year was Bt47,085, while in Suphan Buri it was as high as Bt61,064, according to research presented to the Thailand Development Research Institute last November.

Yet no matter how much the farmers suffer, they continue to help the basin keep its long-time reputation as the "rice cradle" of the nation, if not the world.

Currently Thailand produces some 23 million tonnes of rice, with 13 million tonnes being derived from 10,000 square kilometres of the Chao Phya basin. About 6.7 million tonnes is exported each year, making the country the world's biggest rice exporter, even though in terms of production it ranks fourth.

Farmers said that the high cost of farming was one of the major reasons why they were so highly in debt. Today's rice farming depends more and more on high technology like harvesting machines and less on manpower, meaning farmers need to raise large amounts of cash to buy equipment.

Wassana Asaranurak, operator of the well-known and biggest Kamnan Song rice market, said the use of harvesting machines also affected the quality of rice grains, causing the price to decrease.

Another drawback was that the machines mean farmers must harvest all of their rice at one time and as some of the paddy is not ready, the harvested rice contains more moisture.

Chai Nat farmer Pradit Ritthiphan explained that growing rice was an expensive business. "Buying rice seed; paying for the ploughing machine; inputting fertiliser, water and chemicals; hiring a harvesting machine; paying for transportation to silo . . . it's all about paying out cash," he said.

"One rai of rice farm requires at least 10 kilograms of fertiliser and three sprayings of pesticide to get 80 thang [20 litres] of rice," said another farmer, Somsak Hira, giving a clearer picture of the current "industry-like" farming in the area.

The solution emerging among families and communities in the central plans is simple: cut costs as much as possible. This has lead to two noticeable practices: switching to growing more-expensive jasmine rice and reducing chemical use.

Even though jasmine rice requires a rainy season and so can be grown only once a year - and has a lower yield of 30 to 50 thang per rai compared to 70 to 80 thang for other popular variants like Pathum Thani 1 - its price is as high as Bt6,500 per kwian (about one tonne) compared to Bt3,000 to Bt4,000 for Pathum Thani 1.

And even more importantly, the growing of jasmine rice requires no pesticides, farmers said.

However, jasmine rice does require a specific type of soil to get its great original taste, the slightly salty soil of the Northeastern provinces. Yet despite the many limitations, numerous farmers are still choosing to give it a try as a "survival" option.

Another option growing in popularity, which is easier to practice and has fewer limitations, is reducing chemical use and producing "greener" or "more organic" crops.

"Fertilizer and pesticide costs are very high. Not using them could affect some of your yield but will generate profit for you in the end," Pradit said.

"The biggest obstacle is yourself. Most farmers are not used to seeing pests in their fields and fear low yields. Thus, you have to be brave if you want to try the no-pesticide option," he said.

Pradit is one of 24 families in Chai Nat's Muang district who are trying out "pesticide-free" crops. He said that the yield had not dropped as he had feared and he was satisfied with the trial.

Napha Saisawan said she and her neighbors had eased their fears by replacing pesticide use with pest-killing herb and "bacteria" products. These were made from local plants and materials which cost only their own labor instead of cash, she said.

Using an alternative method to kill snail eggs - a major pest for rice farms in the area - was another popular practice, Napha said, adding that is was limited however as it could only be done before the snails developed.

"Seeking low-cost techniques is spreading among farmers here," she said.

Farmers in Uthai Thani have set up a network to exchange information on such techniques and to offer advice to farmers who want to change their practices, said the civil network's organizer Wilaiwan Janphuang.

"Some of them enter into 'pesticide-free farming' because of health reasons. Many of them have found they are facing serious diseases as a result of using chemicals for many years. These include cancer, heart and bone-marrow conditions," she said.

Finally, Khem Phoephoo explained her own family's unique reason for turning their back on chemical-farming, "My husband is too lazy to spray pesticide. . .," she said.