Crop Development

The Agriculture Development Center (ADC) develops new and innovative methods of farming. These methods are being introduced to the many FLC rural villages where we serve. A primary objective, providing cash crops is an alternative to opium poppies.

In our 30-year history, we have helped many villages shift from opium production to legitimate cash crops. The income and quality of life for the people in these villages has drastically improved from this crop development program. Widely praised by the Thai government, this program replaces opium poppies with coffee plantations, soybean fields, fruit tree orchards, and fish ponds.

Your morning java could soon come from an FLC-initiated crop substitution program in northern Thailand. Currently as a result of this crop substitution, all coffee beans produced by the tribal people are purchased under contract by a third-party distributor for sale in Germany.

In addition, over 30 acres of mango orchards provide an income to support FLC projects. Also, an FLC-built sawmill in Putao, Myanmar, provides lumber for construction of new church buildings, bridges and roads. Ten acres planted by FLC with a thousand rubber trees are located in northeast Thailand.