Agriculture minister worried by reduced Thai buffalo population

[Gunna]

Many Issan farmers find the 2 wheel buffalo much easier to handle, hence less need for 4 leg buffalo, so may as well sell them. Trouble is now much harder for their daughters to elicit funds for a sick Kubota.

[Misterwhisper]

"Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya told the press today that Thai water buffaloes could become extinct within five years as their population is dwindling."

With all the money being given to care for "family's sick buffaloes", they should be reproducing faster than minks. Don't tell me that this is a ruse to get a fool and his money parted.

Don't think horny, gullible farangs will shell out much money for wife's "family's sick chicken".

Some idiot put this together. Anyone else see what's wrong with this photo?

herdwaterbuffalo.jpg

Yes, I do. These are not water buffaloes but wildebeests (gnus), native to Africa only.

[kamahele]

I live in southern Isaan and never see buffalo unless I drive up towards the Cambodian border. Have never been offered at taste of one either.

[ratcatcher]

"Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya told the press today that Thai water buffaloes could become extinct within five years as their population is dwindling."

With all the money being given to care for "family's sick buffaloes", they should be reproducing faster than minks. Don't tell me that this is a ruse to get a fool and his money parted.

Don't think horny, gullible farangs will shell out much money for wife's "family's sick chicken".

Some idiot put this together. Anyone else see what's wrong with this photo?

herdwaterbuffalo.jpg

Yes, I do. These are not water buffaloes but wildebeests (gnus), native to Africa only.

Look again, I've got gnus for you, they are Cape buffalo not wildebeeste.

wildebeeste (gnu). Cape buffalo. Water buffalo (Carabao)

And that's a load of bull.

[gemini81]

I thought this article was about either the police or about Pheua Thai's former party members.

[ramrod711]

I thought the idea was to offer farmers cheaper, sustainable and more efficient means of producing crops. If the agriculture minister wants to see more water buffalo at work maybe they should set up a mock farm where tourists could take photos.

[bangon04]

No mention of the few remaining elephants with lights up their arse-holes... just mention 10 times as many buffalo in existence here.

Ever heard of a priority list Menstrual Tension of Agriculture Pity-it-pongs Ayudhya?

Then again, damned, the govnt will have to hand out loans for tractors if the buffalo population diminishes (at huge profits from a supplier located in, where other than, Ayudhya)... what a bummer.

How is the niece that killed 9 people doing nowadays? Finished her non-existant community service yet?

Edit: Apologies for wasting 15 seconds of people's time - sarcasm hour. He is only there thru name, anyway... he's as unqualified as heck.

but his family name obviously gave him the very best Thai education...

[jcisco]

Perhaps our Australian mates can assist Thailand, they have a large population of water buffaloes that were introduced many years ago. I am sure they could make a deal with the minister.

http://waltzingaustralia.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/water-buffalo/

car.jpg

Pretty sure they are protected species now in aussie land. not sure if they would want to eject them from the environment.

[In Search of Space]

Water buffaloes usually recover after their illness, to become ill again, they've even been known to come back to life !

[loongdavid]

Perhaps our Australian mates can assist Thailand, they have a large population of water buffaloes that were introduced many years ago. I am sure they could make a deal with the minister.

http://waltzingaustralia.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/water-buffalo/

car.jpg

I was very much under the impression that the Northern Territory Government in league with the Federal Department of Agriculture had declared the Australian water buffalo to be an invasive and noxious pest. They were introduced many years back by Indonesian and Malay sailors who brought them along as a ready food source. If memory serves me correctly, Australian water buffalo were shot to extinction some years back. The damage they caused to inland water courses and National Parks was considered too great to let them live. They were never really a source of food (excluding some minor select restaurants) so why have them.

[BudRight]

Thais should be more worried about the dwindling farang buffalo.

[ratcatcher]

Perhaps our Australian mates can assist Thailand, they have a large population of water buffaloes that were introduced many years ago. I am sure they could make a deal with the minister.

http://waltzingaustralia.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/water-buffalo/

car.jpg

I was very much under the impression that the Northern Territory Government in league with the Federal Department of Agriculture had declared the Australian water buffalo to be an invasive and noxious pest. They were introduced many years back by Indonesian and Malay sailors who brought them along as a ready food source. If memory serves me correctly, Australian water buffalo were shot to extinction some years back. The damage they caused to inland water courses and National Parks was considered too great to let them live. They were never really a source of food (excluding some minor select restaurants) so why have them.

Here's a little light reading when you have a moment.

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive-species/publications/factsheet-feral-water-buffalo-bubalus-bubalis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo#In_Australia

http://www.australiawidesafaris.com.au/index.php/water-buffalo-hunting-safaris

[ldnguy]

Ok, all you maths geniuses, what's wrong with this? We start with 800,000 buffalo and they decrease in number by 100,000 a year. So in 5 years they'll be extinct.

I heard that the Education Minister is now rather worried as well.

[realenglish1]

I think to save the species cross breed them with local ducks and then you will have a Duckalow Much more aquatic

[surangw]

his info was gathered from asking bar girls how many of their family buffalos are sick.

[mataleo]

Buffalo dead?

[khaowong1]

_{C'mon fella's, we're shirking our duty to Thailand.. Pony up.. Let's get those buffalo's back on their feet..}

[pjmansions]

4.3 million beef cattle

has he seen the cattle in and around the provinces very few are what i would call beef cattle

and the quality of the meat is terrible compared to the west

think he should be looking at introducing better cattle breeds to the breeding programmes they have with free straws and insemination to farmers

[German Viking]

"Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya told the press today that Thai water buffaloes could become extinct within five years as their population is dwindling."

With all the money being given to care for "family's sick buffaloes", they should be reproducing faster than minks. Don't tell me that this is a ruse to get a fool and his money parted.

Don't think horny, gullible farangs will shell out much money for wife's "family's sick chicken".

Some idiot put this together. Anyone else see what's wrong with this photo?

herdwaterbuffalo.jpg

These are african buffalos(Syncerus caffer) very dangerous they are a part of the top 5 in africa.

[maidee]

good news for farangs

less can become sick and cost them a hefty hand

[Dogmatix]

I think this concern is a bit too late. Soon the remaining beasts will have all been eaten.