Thai govt calls on farmers to stop growing rice in off-season

[webfact]

Govt calls on farmers to stop growing rice in off-season

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The government has called on farmers to stop growing rice in the off-season to save water for personal consumption. Three million rai of land in the Chao Phraya River basin has already been used to grow rice in the extra season, but is yet to be provided with water.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has delivered policy for the steering of the National Water Directorate, which has been following the overall water situation and introducing measures to alleviate problems. So far, 18 provinces have been declared drought-affected zones and 54 others have been declared "at risk" of lacking sufficient water for consumption and agriculture.

 

Gen Prawit said there is a reduced volume of water this year, particularly in the Chao Phraya River basin where the water supply will only be sufficient for consumption, and should be used very sparingly for agriculture; plants which consume less water should be grown instead. The government has taken measures to provide enough water for the people’s consumption and ordered the drilling of more artesian wells.

 

Meanwhile, the Office of National Water Resources has integrated operational plans to prevent drought in the 2019/2020 season by preparing reserves of water for consumption in areas at risk of being hit by drought. This water will be provided to hospitals and for cash crops.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of the Interior will take measures to contain the adverse effects of drought on rice grown in the extra season while farmers would receive compensation payments for any damage to their rice farms due to drought.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-01-13

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[PatOngo]

Will DPM Gen Prawatch agree to use less water with his black hair dye?

[legend49]

And the watch collector called on all Thai drivers with no driving licence to get one immediately; same result as his request to farmers.

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Govt calls on farmers to stop growing rice in off-season

Didn't they say exactly the same thing about two weeks ago?

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has called on farmers to stop growing rice in the off-season to save water for personal consumption.

Assuming personal consumption means Songkran

[BobbyL]

They love ordering and telling people what to do, just like an army. How about trying to enforce rules and legislations to see if people follow. 

[mickymouse1]

Grow Hemp !!!

[DefaultName]

Please give up a large part of your family income for the benefit of strangers.  Seems very Buddhist.

 

This is going to work well then!  ????

[CGW]

Quite how the "Farmers" could get any water to grow rice is beyond me - & they know it!

Sure there are a few who live where they can steal water from rivers, look at a map of Isaan, there are no rivers! The reservoirs with any water are not releasing any for cultivation so not going to be very difficult to refrain from growing rice is it!

Government PR - look at us - we really are doing something!

"Watch" this space for further useless PR, attention diverting, guess they can't divert attention this year when they do nothing about the atrocious AQ, as no water to make useless gesture by spraying water!

[Andycoops]

Better get up here in Isan quick then as it's looming up in the paddies around me and they are, of course, pumping water in to boot.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Govt calls on farmers to stop growing rice in off-season

Asking a farmer to stop growing a water intensive crop during a drought is like

 

[edwinchester]

Asking 10's of thousands of rice farmers to immediately switch to another crop is unrealistic. It takes time to prepare land for something new and it may not even be suitable for something different.

What the Govt are really saying is give up half your annual income and offering next to nothing in return.

[AhFarangJa]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Govt calls on farmers to stop growing rice in off-season

The result of which will be the same as when the Government told farmers to stop burning fields, stop using chemicals, stop riding in the back of pick ups, stop drinking and driving, stop underage riders, stop driving the wrong way, stop double parking, stop using illegal lights, stop, stop, stop, stop.........

[Ireland32]

Yeah buts let’s have a week long Water fight Songkran , moronic

[CGW]

6 minutes ago, Ireland32 said:

Yeah buts let’s have a week long Water fight Songkran , moronic

Not another one that wants to rewrite history and considers that stopping Songkran will make even the slightest difference! ???? 

[CGW]

1 hour ago, Andycoops said:

Better get up here in Isan quick then as it's looming up in the paddies around me and they are, of course, pumping water in to boot.

Where in Isan are you? where is the water coming from? I am in Isan and any direction I drive in it is dry & dusty!

[PatOngo]

41 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

The result of which will be the same as when the Government told farmers to stop burning fields, stop using chemicals, stop riding in the back of pick ups, stop drinking and driving, stop underage riders, stop driving the wrong way, stop double parking, stop using illegal lights, stop, stop, stop, stop.........

……..teen pregnancy!

[marko kok prong]

I am sure all will listen "not on my watch" says Prawit.

[mikebell]

20 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

Yeah buts let’s have a week long Water fight Songkran , moronic

Two weeks in Pattaya to enable the mongers to have their fill of wet-T-shirts.

[xtrnuno41]

Pay the farmers NOT to grow rice

[johng]

9 minutes ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Pay the farmers NOT to grow rice

Yep that's the answer..they do that in Europe..just cancel the submarines they would have more than enough money..or use the billions of amassed foreign currency reserves which might also lower the Baht.