The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry of Thailand has initiated activities to encourage smallholder farmers in the north and northeastern areas to grow more cassava, in a move to boost incomes and food security, and to promote bioethanol as an alternative transport fuel. According to Anan Phusitthikul, secretary general of the Ministry's Agricultural Land Reform Office, agreements have been made with three private firms to make guaranteed purchases of the cassava produced by the farmers and use the material for ethanol production. About 64,000 hectares of farmland in six provinces are expected to be initially committed at the start of the program. A demand of two million tons of cassava per year is estimated as the three firms start ethanol production in 2008..