Khamsri

Khamsri is a 56-year-old married woman living with her husband, parents, and a grown-up child in a small community located in Surin Province, Thailand. To earn a living, her parents run a small retail business, while her child works in a delivery service. Khamsri and her husband farm jasmine rice and grow vegetables for selling and personal consumption.

Khamsri started growing chillies, pumpkins, watermelons, and other local vegetables for sale several years ago. She learned organic farming from her husband, who attended an agricultural workshop and shared the knowledge with her. With sufficient space near the paddy fields, she used that land as her garden. Everything she grows is organic, as she has a vision of providing good-quality produce to customers in the community. Khamsri sells her products at a flea market in the village, and sometimes residents come to purchase directly from her garden. This business has allowed her to generate income daily and also reduce the consumption costs within the household, as she can use what she grows for cooking.

Currently, demand for her produce has been increasing, and more customers are requesting to purchase in larger quantities. To seize this opportunity and grow her business, she would like to expand her garden with a variety of crops such as tomatoes, spring onions, basil, lemongrass, and other local vegetables. Therefore, Khamsri has applied for a loan to purchase vegetable seeds, a water irrigation system, solar cells, water hoses, water pipes, and other related equipment. Part of this loan will be used to pay for a groundwater drilling service. With a proper irrigation system in place, she will be able to grow more varieties throughout the year. In the future, Khamsri hopes to supply her organic produce directly to local restaurants and shops, providing her with a more consistent and reliable source of income.