Three billion baht sought to ease drought problem



BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives is to set aside more than three billion baht fund to help people lead in 3,051 tambons in 58 provinces which have been repeatedly hit by drought.

The fund will be used to develop and improve agricultural product in the communities and to hire the unemployed farmers to do manual works such as the maintenance of irrigation canals and road construction.

The fund is expected to be made available in the second week of March.

The Kasikorn Thai research centre, meanwhile, drought which started last November has so far ravaged one million rai of second crop rice farm land causing damage estimated at 5.6 billion baht.

But the damage to farmland and earnings of the farmers will increase to 14 billion baht if drought continues until April and this will impact on their purchasing power.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/three-billion-baht-sought-to-ease-drought-problem


-- Thai PBS 2015-03-04

There is virtually no rain in Isaan from November to March every year.

http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Korat-weather-averages/Nakhon-Ratchasima/TH.aspx

I think the problem is lack of water for irrigation because not enough reservoirs have been constructed.

The Rice Scam also encouraged farmers to grow more rice and to grow a second crop in 2013/14 when in other years they would have left the land fallow.

This reduced the volume of water stored in the reservoirs which then failed to refill in the 2014 rainy season

Three billion baht is just a drop in the bucket.

"The fund will be used to develop and improve agricultural product in the communities and to hire the unemployed farmers to do manual works such as the maintenance of irrigation canals and road construction."

So how can building more roads ease the drought problem? Planting more trees in the area and build more water storage dams maybe a wiser long term plan

thats if the money actually gets to the right people, by the time the headman takes his share and the rest down the line there will be bugger all left to do the work, the money needs to be organized entirely by the govt with checks and balances along the way or it will simply end up in some headmans bank account.

Edited March 4, 201511 yr by seajae

Is it me or did article say farmers income will increase to 14 billion baht in April? if that is the case wait till April then no need to borrow money.

Every year it's the same story, drought and X billions are sought to alleviate the problems,

what are they doing with the money that it is good only for one year or one season?

why can't they find a long lasting solution to the drought problems? I know why, it seems

like this is a game, a scam whereby every year someone get the money to 'solve the problem'

but only for one year, the next year more billions in being handed out, and so the game continue....

thats if the money actually gets to the right people, by the time the headman takes his share and the rest down the line there will be bugger all left to do the work, the money needs to be organized entirely by the govt with checks and balances along the way or it will simply end up in some headmans bank account.

Aren't headmen democratically elected by the villagers themselves? Can Democracy not be trusted?

Every year it's the same story, drought and X billions are sought to alleviate the problems,

what are they doing with the money that it is good only for one year or one season?

why can't they find a long lasting solution to the drought problems? I know why, it seems

like this is a game, a scam whereby every year someone get the money to 'solve the problem'

but only for one year, the next year more billions in being handed out, and so the game continue....

You, my friend, hit the nail on the head.

Nice to see the new Government is fighting the cycle of corruption by.....continuing the cycle of corruption. Smart idea, though, cheaper to buy the Headman than buying votes.

Its raining money, all is well.

Pennies from heaven

they will grow money trees ?

I simply cannot wrap my head around why humans want to spend money on measures to (virtually) stop a drought. The more 'schemes' that I see during my stay in Thailand the more I tend to think it's governance leans toward socialism. Money will never affect or effect Mother Nauture!

Edited March 6, 201511 yr by ToS2014

Is it me or did article say farmers income will increase to 14 billion baht in April? if that is the case wait till April then no need to borrow money.

The article said "damage to farmers income... etc." [sic].

Maybe there is some left-over from the last flooding-problems?