Agriculture Ministry steps in to tackle drought

[snoop1130]

Agriculture Ministry steps in to tackle drought

By THE NATION

 

 

Incoming Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said a drought affecting the country was an urgent matter and the ministry would step in to tackle it.

 

He and three deputy ministers will take office on Thursday. 

 

The ministry will also provide advice to farmers on how to deal with the situation, he added.

 

The ministry has called on people everywhere to save water as this year’s rainy season is expected to remain drier than normal.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30373045

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-16

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[FarFlungFalang]

Sooo the yes minister is going to tackle the drought with some advice,gee thanks minister I could also return the favour but I won't because I value my freedom.

[ripstanley]

The ministry has called on people everywhere to save water as this year’s rainy season is expected to remain drier than normal.

 

This advice should have been given in April.

[wisperone]

Several months ago when it was dry, the powers that be said the rainy season is coming and all will be well.

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The ministry will also provide advice to farmers on how to deal with the situation, he added.

Can't wait to hear what the advice will be.

 

My suggestion back when drought was being discussed a few months back, was to make a law that only low flow toilets can be installed. The amount of water that is wasted every time a toilet is flushed in Thailand, (and other SEA countries) is cringe worthy. They could save 2+ gallons of water per flush. Multiply that times millions of flushes per day, weeks, months, years,. All these new condo's going up with water wasting toilets installed.

 

The govt. could offer a incentive for present owners to replace their current toilets with new efficient ones. Shouldn't even be able to purchase a high water flow toilet.

 

For those who say low flow toilets do not work, nonsense, they are very efficient today. Water issues are only going to get more desperate. Once the glaciers are gone in the Himalaya's, China is going to stop the water flowing south. You haven't seen nothing yet with water problems.

 

But I wouldn't hold my breath and expect Thailand to do anything to actually solve the problem, other than to pay lip service and blame something/someone else.

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, ripstanley said:

The ministry has called on people everywhere to save water as this year’s rainy season is expected to remain drier than normal.

 

This advice should have been given in April.

In  April the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture was nothing more than a Democratic Party toe rag who was politically maneuvering his way to the Prayut trough reserved for those who voted for him to be the new Supremo.

If he knows anything about agriculture it would come as a surprise.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Cadbury

[tracker1]

His comment this morning was " Farmers to conserve water and become self sufficient by using rain water " hmmm great when it rains that is !

[ocddave]

1 hour ago, wisperone said:

Several months ago when it was dry, the powers that be said the rainy season is coming and all will be well.

 

Can't wait to hear what the advice will be.

 

My suggestion back when drought was being discussed a few months back, was to make a law that only low flow toilets can be installed. The amount of water that is wasted every time a toilet is flushed in Thailand, (and other SEA countries) is cringe worthy. They could save 2+ gallons of water per flush. Multiply that times millions of flushes per day, weeks, months, years,. All these new condo's going up with water wasting toilets installed.

 

The govt. could offer a incentive for present owners to replace their current toilets with new efficient ones. Shouldn't even be able to purchase a high water flow toilet.

 

For those who say low flow toilets do not work, nonsense, they are very efficient today. Water issues are only going to get more desperate. Once the glaciers are gone in the Himalaya's, China is going to stop the water flowing south. You haven't seen nothing yet with water problems.

 

But I wouldn't hold my breath and expect Thailand to do anything to actually solve the problem, other than to pay lip service and blame something/someone else.

Most of the country has a hole in the floor for a toilet, and a small pan of water they pull from a bucket.

[colinneil]

So Chalermchai is going to tackle the drought... WOW exciting news.

Just 1 point what is he going to do? Pray for rain.

[ripstanley]

12 hours ago, Cadbury said:

In  April the newly appointed Minister for Agriculture was nothing more than a Democratic Party toe rag who was politically maneuvering his way to the Prayut trough reserved for those who voted for him to be the new Supremo.

If he knows anything about agriculture it would come as a surprise.

My comment was a about the Ministry, which was around in April, not the minister.  It was also a tongue in check about wasted water at Songkran

Edited July 17, 2019 by ripstanley

[ZeVonderBearz]

"Bloody rain I tell ye!"

Edited July 17, 2019 by ZeVonderBearz

[Cadbury]

6 minutes ago, ripstanley said:

My comment was a about the Ministry, which were around in April, not the minister.  It was also a tongue in check about wasted water at Songkran

Your comments about what should have happened in April during the month of Songkran were noted and most relevant.

My comments were about the current situation and the Prayut political ministerial stooge who is now in charge of agriculture and who likely knows nothing about farming, irrigation and water conservation. 

 

 

[bannork]

If I remember rightly, Chalermchai, the Secretary General of the Democrat Party and new Minister of Agriculture has a huge pineapple plantation in Prajuap khiri khan province.

[overherebc]

13 hours ago, wisperone said:

Several months ago when it was dry, the powers that be said the rainy season is coming and all will be well.

 

Can't wait to hear what the advice will be.

 

My suggestion back when drought was being discussed a few months back, was to make a law that only low flow toilets can be installed. The amount of water that is wasted every time a toilet is flushed in Thailand, (and other SEA countries) is cringe worthy. They could save 2+ gallons of water per flush. Multiply that times millions of flushes per day, weeks, months, years,. All these new condo's going up with water wasting toilets installed.

 

The govt. could offer a incentive for present owners to replace their current toilets with new efficient ones. Shouldn't even be able to purchase a high water flow toilet.

 

For those who say low flow toilets do not work, nonsense, they are very efficient today. Water issues are only going to get more desperate. Once the glaciers are gone in the Himalaya's, China is going to stop the water flowing south. You haven't seen nothing yet with water problems.

 

But I wouldn't hold my breath and expect Thailand to do anything to actually solve the problem, other than to pay lip service and blame something/someone else.

Two large house bricks in the cistern have almost the same effect and cost a lot less than a new overpriced 'low volume' toilet.

It has to be expensive because they can put a green sticker on it. ????????

[Eric Loh]

The coup government had 5 years and article 44 to do some meaningful plan for water management but they didn't. The master plan was initiated by the previous government and cover aspects of flood and drought management. The coup government dropped the ball and sat on their hinds. 

[Cadbury]

30 minutes ago, bannork said:

If I remember rightly, Chalermchai, the Secretary General of the Democrat Party and new Minister of Agriculture has a huge pineapple plantation in Prajuap khiri khan province.

One of Abhisit's boys. Being a Thai politician and a Minister in Abhisit's government every chance the pineapple orchard was probably acquired through ill gotten gains.

[owl sees all]

The rain thing is serious, especially for the people of isaan.

 

Isaan, traditionally has had some very poor years with the occasional wet ones. The weather is fickle. The Khorat Plain has never* had consistent rain during the wet season. One of the reasons why the area is so poor.

 

In my time here, I can only recall one really wet season; and that was followed, starting on 5th November by 5 months without a drop. 

 

When the Mekong is very high, the rivers and canals (what there are of them up this way) flood, and the ground water level rises. This year so far, has not seen one big surge of water down the Mekong. At the moment, our well is at 6 metres depth. I've measured it at 4 metres (2013) but I've also known the level to drop during the wet season. in 2010, the level dropped from 4.5 metres to nearly 5.5, during August. Fortunately that year the rains came later. But rice harvest was very poor.

 

There is virtually no infrastructure going on to preserve water in Isaan. Just little bits and bobs.

 

* Last 50 years. Can't go back any further - no info.

Edited July 17, 2019 by owl sees all

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Incoming Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said a drought affecting the country was an urgent matter and the ministry would step in to tackle it.

Whatever happened to this annual effort:

In March 2019 the Air Force has sent cloud-seeding planes to participate in a royal rainmaking operation for 2019 to relieve the people’s woes during dry season.

The planes include 12 cloud-seeding aircraft, three BT-67 planes, six AU-23A planes and three Alpha jets. And a lot of personnel.

https://news.thaivisa.com/article/32956/air-force-participates-in-royal-rainmaking-operation

I've never seen its budget but given statistically that cloud seeding has only a 50/50 chance of success (when rain qualified clouds are present and remain over land target area), funds might be better spent on permanent water management infrastructures.

 

[Thailand]

56 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Whatever happened to this annual effort:

In March 2019 the Air Force has sent cloud-seeding planes to participate in a royal rainmaking operation for 2019 to relieve the people’s woes during dry season.

The planes include 12 cloud-seeding aircraft, three BT-67 planes, six AU-23A planes and three Alpha jets. And a lot of personnel.

https://news.thaivisa.com/article/32956/air-force-participates-in-royal-rainmaking-operation

I've never seen its budget but given statistically that cloud seeding has only a 50/50 chance of success (when rain qualified clouds are present and remain over land target area), funds might be better spent on permanent water management infrastructures.

 

Bringing logic in to the equation,how quaint. ????

[rickudon]

Rain making? well, it is expensive and the election is over ....... If the minister for Agriculture grows pineapples, maybe he will advise farmers to grow those as they need little water.

 

Nah ..... only takes 2 years to harvest, so better eat bugs and weeds while you wait.