RID: There is not enough water in Thailand to plant rice
Thailand is one of the largest rice exporters in the world. Many Thai farmers depend on the harvest, but there is not enough water to start planting rice next month, says the Royal Irrigation Department (RID).
The problem is that the four large reservoirs now contain too little water. If the rainy season breaks loose in July, farmers can still sow. The Meteorological Department will announce when that is.
According to RID director general Suthep, there is enough water during the rainy season for areas that are irrigated. Whether there is also enough water for the second rice harvest after the rainy season will have to be seen later.
The large reservoirs are 96 percent empty, the remaining 4 percent is just enough to last until the start of the rainy season. The first rains are expected in the third week of May. The water is then led first to fields with rice from the previous harvest.
Farmers in non-irrigated areas have been asked to postpone planting rice. Even better is to switch to other crops that require less water. The government promises to buy up other crops, making farmers earn almost as much as from rice cultivation, says agriculture minister Chatchai.
The ministry will soon submit a recovery plan to the cabinet for the agricultural sector, which has been hit hard by the drought. The plan consists of support for farmers such as a reduction in the price of fertilizers, a supply of quality seeds and low-interest loans.
Source: Bangkok Post
Naturally a disaster for the farmers. The other side of the story is that hopefully the overcrowded rice barns will be empty. And that later in the year when the rice harvest is good, the farmers get a better price.
This is what you get when the government doesn't intervene, and millions of liters of water are wasted with songkran.
Very simple own fault fat hump.
Farmers are always the victims. Grow rice? Only possible if you do everything yourself. If you hire staff, you can no longer afford it. Not so long ago, the then government advised rubber trees. Complete with free tap courses of several days. The only thing you learn during such a course is to help a rubber tree to its grandma as quickly as possible! You don't learn a trade like that in two days. I myself have also been cutting into a trunk during a course. Thank God I never decided to start a rubber plantation like some farangs and Thais who already counted themselves rich with the then rubber prices of 100 baht per kilo!
Now the trees in the Isaan are dying! Why should we still fertilize them expensively? Doesn't pay off anyway! Sugar cane then? But here too the draft comes in again! 10.000 baht profit says the belching farang! Have I worked so hard for that? Once again the government intends to do something for the farmers! Again it won't work at all. They remain victims of speculators and globalization. And as far as the farangs are concerned: If you want to get rid of your money as quickly as possible, invest it in farming in Isaan!