Farmers to end rice-stubble burning in Nakhon Ratchasima district

By THE NATION

 

 

The chief of Khon Buri district in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Wijit Kitjarat, on Wednesday (January 29) organised a campaign to educate local farmers on the harmful effects of rice stubble burning to air quality and the environment.

 

The event, held at the agricultural office of the district, was a collaboration between the Khon Buri district office and Nakhon Ratchasima's land development agency.

 

There were a demonstration of the correct steps in ploughing and a lecture on improving soil quality by using organic matters.

 

“Rice stubble burning not only leads to air pollution, it also deteriorates soil quality and affects the quality of agricultural produce” Wijit said.

 

In addition, relevant government agencies and more than 100 farmers signed a memorandum of understanding at the event on ending the practice of rice-stubble burning.

 

Khon Buri district has more than 90,000 rice growing areas. Local farmers burn rice stubble as an easy and cheap way to deal with straws and weeds growing on their land.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381233

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-29

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57 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

a campaign to educate local farmers on the harmful effects of rice stubble burning to air quality and the environment

I think if they are educated they might understand - but just carry on

????

Really!!!  Permanently or just for this afternoon???

“Rice stubble burning not only leads to air pollution, it also deteriorates soil quality and affects the quality of agricultural produce” Wijit said.

 

.... Now that is a very sensible ( and obvious) statement coming from a local bureaucrat. I hope this story is revisited in a few months.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The chief of Khon Buri district in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Wijit Kitjarat, on Wednesday (January 29) organised a campaign to educate local farmers on the harmful effects of rice stubble burning to air quality and the environment.

At least someone is attempting to do some positive by trying to explain to the farmers the problem, but also suggesting ways to improve their lives:

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

There were a demonstration of the correct steps in ploughing and a lecture on improving soil quality by using organic matters.

It might only be a small step, but from what I've seen it is more than central government have been doing.

There are a lot of rice paddies around our village to the east of Sakon Nakhon. However there is hardly any burning at all. Plowing in now seems to be the norm. Fortunately there is no sugarcane grown around here and our AQI readings are significantly lower than those I read about elsewhere.

 

The message is getting through.

As if seeing the black smoke wasn't enough of education. They might be dumb but not that dumb. Money numba one.

So they burn the stubble to save money as they didn't get as much for the poor crop last year because the soil is knackered after all that stubble burning.

 

Genius.

No mention of the sugar cane burning industry. ????2.5PM is approaching 200 AQI here this morning and totally preventable. When they stopped burning over the Chinese new year it cleared within 2 days. They have destroyed this lovely country in only a few short years. ????

Country wide?

Thailand is facing an airpocalypse like never seen before. With the increased growth, the insatiable appetite for greater tourist numbers, (always pushing quantity over quality), the ever increasing number of cars and trucks on the road, and the insistence on the continuation of the promotion of diesel vehicles (one of the few nations remaining, that are doing so), this nation's air is only going to get worse, and more and more Thais are going to be dying every year from this tragic outcome.

 

So, whatever can be done to mitigate this epic tragedy, is a good thing. The national government is doing nearly nothing to address this. They do not have the vision, nor do they have the talent. Nor do they care. So, if this happens at the grass roots (no pun intended) level, this is great. Farmers need to be educated about how they are devastating their nation, with their antiquated farming methods. At whatever cost. The government bans on burning are accomplishing nothing, because as usual the Prayuth administration never, ever engages in follow up, of any sort. Simply declarations, proclamations, and crackdowns, and all is forgotten in two weeks time. 

 

Also, a tremendous amount of pressure needs to be put on the sugar cane growers. They are the main culprit. 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

In addition, relevant government agencies and more than 100 farmers signed a memorandum of understanding at the event on ending the practice of rice-stubble burning.

 

Khon Buri district has more than 90,000 rice growing areas. Local farmers burn rice stubble as an easy and cheap way to deal with straws and weeds growing on their land.

100 farmers signed with over 90,000 rice growing areas in Khon Buri district... shows a lot of promise!

19 hours ago, mike787 said:

Really!!!  Permanently or just for this afternoon???

Just for the photo opportunity. Smoke tends to mask the faces of the j'do you know who I am' brigade.

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thailand is facing an airpocalypse like never seen before. With the increased growth, the insatiable appetite for greater tourist numbers, (always pushing quantity over quality), the ever increasing number of cars and trucks on the road, and the insistence on the continuation of the promotion of diesel vehicles (one of the few nations remaining, that are doing so), this nation's air is only going to get worse, and more and more Thais are going to be dying every year from this tragic outcome.

 

So, whatever can be done to mitigate this epic tragedy, is a good thing. The national government is doing nearly nothing to address this. They do not have the vision, nor do they have the talent. Nor do they care. So, if this happens at the grass roots (no pun intended) level, this is great. Farmers need to be educated about how they are devastating their nation, with their antiquated farming methods. At whatever cost. The government bans on burning are accomplishing nothing, because as usual the Prayuth administration never, ever engages in follow up, of any sort. Simply declarations, proclamations, and crackdowns, and all is forgotten in two weeks time. 

 

Also, a tremendous amount of pressure needs to be put on the sugar cane growers. They are the main culprit. 

TVF,the hub of whingers not in their own country.

Why do people stay if they don't like it.

23 hours ago, bluesofa said:

It might only be a small step, but from what I've seen it is more than central government have been doing.

A positive step indeed.

every journey starts with the first step.

On 1/30/2020 at 9:11 AM, mickey rat said:

No mention of the sugar cane burning industry. ????2.5PM is approaching 200 AQI here this morning and totally preventable. When they stopped burning over the Chinese new year it cleared within 2 days. They have destroyed this lovely country in only a few short years. ????

The government has given the OK for 50% of sugar cane to be burnt.  That will really help!

The best way to change people's behaviour is to give the problem i.e. burnt straw a value then they won't burn it.

I see this happening in that there are many balers being used around here to bale the straw up into bales which can be then sold. The straw is used for cattle feed, even though it has very little if any nutritional value or like I use it for mulch on my garden.

Having ploughed paddies with unburnt straw on them it can be an issue as the straw collects in big clumps and blocks the plough. This then requires the driver to stop and clear the plough. If the majority of the straw is baled then it is quite easy to plough the stubble left into the ground which indeed should help with improving the soil.

 

The way things are done here are slowly changing.

In my time here I have seen them go from hand planting seedlings to now casting seed by hand, from hand cutting the rice to using mechanical harvesters and moving from small paddies to expended large paddies.

Not sure about the soil in other areas of Thailand but here in my part of Isaan the soil might be thought more suitable for making bricks than cultivating rice. Very few farmers burn as the soil then gets well and truly baked concrete hard, and ploughing before the heavy rains come is out of the question. I believe most farmers collect the straw as cattle fodder.

However I am told that burning gets rid of a lot of weeds and soil born diseases as well as snakes and scorpions etc. I do expect to see more burning this year as a result of the fungal infection that reduced yield and quality last year...

 

.. just trying to say that it isn't all down to stupid ignorant farmers not caring. Everything I read about rice farming points towards the end of family farms (subsistence level) in the next generation, few of the youngsters want to farm.