Agriculture ministry seeks drought-resistant crops amid water shortage

By THE NATION

 

Chalermchai Srion

 

Agriculture agencies are seeking drought-resistant crops that can cope with Thailand’s future water shortages, Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Srion revealed on Wednesday.

 

Water levels in reservoirs nationwide have been low since late 2019 due to lower than expected rainfall volume. Total water stocks between May 1 and September 15 were down by 8,000 cubic metres on the same period last year.

 

Large and medium-sized reservoirs currently contain 36.764 billion cu/m, or 48 per cent of total capacity, according to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID). Only 12.946 billion cu/m is available for irrigation.

 

Chairing Wednesday’s 2020-21 water management meeting, Chalermchai ordered the RID to boost storage capacity ahead of the dry season.

 

However, he said Thailand still had enough water for consumption judging from comparisons with previous years.

 

He added that related agencies would discuss growing crops that need less water than rice, a notoriously thirsty plant.

 

The ministry will also speed up plans to create alternative employment for those farmers unable to plant crops because of drought, he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30394655

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-17

 

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14 minutes ago, webfact said:

He added that related agencies would discuss growing crops that need less water than rice,

Cactus ? probably not much good in a stir fry though ..

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

Agriculture ministry seeks drought-resistant crops amid water shortage

Did the deputy minister advise on financing?

You just know they are going to start planting shredded Wheat in the hope of Dry Shredded wheat trees

higher atmospheric co2 concentration makes plants more drought resistant, i think the way forward is rewarding

release of co2 into the air

Edited September 16, 20205 yr by scammed

33 minutes ago, scammed said:

higher atmospheric co2 concentration makes plants more drought resistant, i think the way forward is rewarding

release of co2 into the air

In a greenhouse environment it works quite well,  not sure how you release Co2 globally without other less desirable elements being included.   I have a feeling you statement may trigger some "green need deal" type nutters! 

3 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Cactus ? probably not much good in a stir fry though ..

Nah, but it´s rather good as taste in the "Blue" water drink you can buy in 7-Eleven. ????

Subsidize the building of rain water storage tanks on all farms throughout the country. 

People need to catch that excess water during the rainy season and use it for irrigation during the dry spells. 

Year in, year out they are confronted with the same problem and still nobody has come up with a long term solution. Just shows the level of intelligence and competence in this place. 

4 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Cactus ? probably not much good in a stir fry though ..

Seems the answer is yes + it's good for you !

 

Prickly pear is rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and carotenoids (more so in red fruits), high in fiber, and full of important vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.

 

https://cactuscare.com/edible/

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Agriculture agencies are seeking drought-resistant crops that can cope with Thailand’s future water shortages

Does this mean the Chinese have refused to open the flow of water again .......LOL

Hundreds of years with the same problems but nobody knows how to fix them.  What happened to the 'Miracle' cloud seeding that was going to solve all the lack of rain problems ?   Jokers the lot of them; i wouldn't put them in charge of a Kiddie's Play Pool !

3 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

In a greenhouse environment it works quite well,  not sure how you release Co2 globally without other less desirable elements being included.   I have a feeling you statement may trigger some "green need deal" type nutters! 

 

CO2 is the main reason of global warming having even more is not a good idea. 

 

Changing crops is or accepting that you can't farm in certain area's. Doing more about rain catching.

 

I heard of members who made their own ponds to collect water during the rain season instead of relying on the government.

 

I think looking for an other crop is a good idea.. or just giving farming up in certain area's. 

 

But I guess you want others to fix it for you so you don't have to pay. Guess what all business need to adapt and sometimes pay more or less. When my government adds new tax rules they don't ask us if they are workable they just add them. Nothing different then rules for farmers. 

isn't cannabis a super weed ?

7 hours ago, djayz said:

Subsidize the building of rain water storage tanks on all farms throughout the country. 

People need to catch that excess water during the rainy season and use it for irrigation during the dry spells. 

Year in, year out they are confronted with the same problem and still nobody has come up with a long term solution. Just shows the level of intelligence and competence in this place. 

yes, on the face of it this is a lack of infrastructure,

this is by far the best way thailand can spend money on,

and they should do it right away now that so many are unemployed. think germanys construction of autobahn

in the ruin of ww1

6 hours ago, robblok said:

CO2 is the main reason of global warming having even more is not a good idea. 

why did you seek refuge in thailand if you love freezing ?

12 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Cactus ? probably not much good in a stir fry though ..

Prickly pears are quite tasty and healthy, being found to control and even prevent diabetes.

Good business idea there, flogging cheap Chinese knock off watering cans.

9 hours ago, djayz said:

Subsidize the building of rain water storage tanks on all farms throughout the country. 

People need to catch that excess water during the rainy season and use it for irrigation during the dry spells. 

Year in, year out they are confronted with the same problem and still nobody has come up with a long term solution. Just shows the level of intelligence and competence in this place. 

It seems to be a Thai thing.

To keep repeating the exact same useless moves and procedures, over, and over, and over again, in the hope that just once, just one time, what you are doing will actually work.

This mad approach is not just for the mentioned Water Shortage Issue. I have seen this approach applied to Roads that Flood ( Just push the mud back into the River ) Etc Etc Etc

When there was a severe Drought, the Water Authorities needed to get into the Reservoirs with the Big Boy Mining Toys and enlarge / deepen them when it was a relatively easy procedure.

Now there is some water in the Reservoirs , the process has become near impossible and very costly.

Storage Ponds / Tanks on Farms would be a start, but there is little hope that there will ever be enough water for the projected Millions of Tourists that are chomping at the bit to get into Thailand.

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

It seems to be a Thai thing.

To keep repeating the exact same useless moves and procedures, over, and over, and over again, in the hope that just once, just one time, what you are doing will actually work.

This mad approach is not just for the mentioned Water Shortage Issue. I have seen this approach applied to Roads that Flood ( Just push the mud back into the River ) Etc Etc Etc

When there was a severe Drought, the Water Authorities needed to get into the Reservoirs with the Big Boy Mining Toys and enlarge / deepen them when it was a relatively easy procedure.

Now there is some water in the Reservoirs , the process has become near impossible and very costly.

Storage Ponds / Tanks on Farms would be a start, but there is little hope that there will ever be enough water for the projected Millions of Tourists that are chomping at the bit to get into Thailand.

I have been logging the Thai Met office reports for Kamphang Phet for a few years now and I have posted on the forum before about droughts.

 

Rainfall from 1st January to 31st August

 

year         rainfall in ml

2016         1,031.0

2017         1,480.4

2018           776,8

2019           463.5

2020           353.3

 

I had more data than that but lost it when my hard drive crashed.

 

We have a big storage pond but the only time it was full was in 2011. It is about 20% full at the moment and we have given up on it.

 

Sorry to bore you but if I have these records the the Thai Met office must have all of it from each province and anybody with a modicum of intelligence can download the whole lot and fairly much predict what the average rainfall at each weather site has had per month and what it is likely to be,