Off-season rice farming areas hit 20-year low

[webfact]

Off-season rice farming areas hit 20-year low

CHAINAT, 24 April 2015 (NNT) – Off-season rice farming areas in four provinces along the Chao Phraya River has fallen to a 20-year low, according to the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE).

Rice paddies in the provinces of Lopburi, Singburi, Chainat and Angthong have shrunken to a total area of 410,000 rai, due to a ban on off-season farming by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to mitigate the drought crisis.

The ban is in effect from November 2014 to April 30, in order to ensure sufficient water supplies for consumption, environmental conservation and agricultural purposes during the dry season.

The OAE revealed a drop in rice yields in the four provinces corresponding to a 72 percent decrease in agricultural land use from last year. Other factors that affected the yield were cold temperatures and pest problems.

However, the OAE disclosed that the ban on off-season farming has saved enough water for cultivation in May, adding that some farmers in the four provinces can resume cultivation activities.


-- NNT 2015-04-24

[Chao Lao Beach]

And how much is stockpiled anyway ?

[Strangebrew]

There is a curse on Thailand it is from a farang who died in remand wrongly accused and jailed until you right this wrong things will get worse like maybe major earthquake in Bangkok. Or that is what his Ghost said.

[plachon]

This is basically good news and not altogether surprising, given the policy corruption and ridiculous incentives/subsidies in the past to get villagers to grow dry season rice. This has led to a self-fulfilling vicious cycle of water shortages and conflict between farmers themselves and government agencies in trying to supply all the areas that were previously earmarked for dry season rice, even when it was patently clear that there was not enough water for their needs and that of all the other uses downstream, including supplying Bangkok with water and excluding the dry season saline wedge up the Chao Phraya which has been creeping further and further up the river for years. And the farmers that have tried to grow rice themselves have been trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and debt, leaving many in a worse state of poverty than if they'd just cut their losses and moved to the city to find work or found day labouring work nearby.

Maybe now a more rational use of the limited water supply in the Chao Phraya can be worked out and the obsession with growing vast areas of dry season rice to feed another national obsession of trying to be No. 1 rice exporting country can gradually be reduced, helping the villagers into new work and wider society (who were expected to foot the bill for the crazy subsidies) in the process.

[Robby nz]

Nothing to do with a ban.

Farmers are not the stupid peasants those in suits make them out to be, the farmers know very well there is no point in planting a crop when there will not be enough water to sustain it.

They have been working with the seasons and the weather all their lives and know their business. Its clown in air con offices who stuff things up with their meddling and know it all attitudes.

[Local Drunk]

Nothing to do with a ban.

Farmers are not the stupid peasants those in suits make them out to be, the farmers know very well there is no point in planting a crop when there will not be enough water to sustain it.

They have been working with the seasons and the weather all their lives and know their business. Its clown in air con offices who stuff things up with their meddling and know it all attitudes.

Robby... It's not the farmers that have screwed things up, it's the suits.

[soalbundy]

Interesting, i read recently in the Nikkei Asian News that the much touted ''Vietnam can produce rice cheaper'' farmers are slowly giving up, causing some think tanks to say that Asia is slowly making a rod for it's own back, nobody can make farming pay anymore, so why do it. Lets all work in factories and we can buy our food from the supermarket.....oh wait, if nobody...

[NickJ]

Has anybody ever seen how rice is planted in California?........by planes.......in hours for tens or hudreds of thousands of rais.....

[soalbundy]

Has anybody ever seen how rice is planted in California?........by planes.......in hours for tens or hudreds of thousands of rais.....

where does the water come from ??? Oh yeah, suddenly no more rice

[rubl]

This comes on top of the decline in the NorthEast. From 2015-03-10

Off season rice growing in North East declining due to drought crisis

SURIN, 10 March 2015 (NNT)-Off-season rice growing is on the decline in the central part of the Northeast of Thailand thanks to water shortage.

According to the Department of Royal Irrigation, the water that was normally released to Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Roi-et and Kalasin provinces from various dams has been withheld in order to keep ample supply of water for consumption until the rainy season arrives.

Around 60% of rice farmers in these provinces have stopped growing rice altogether, with the majority of farmers in Maha Sarakham-- nearly 94% of them-- deciding not to grow the crops. More than 178,000 rais of rice fields in the province will not see any rice saplings planted this year.

Only 35,000 rais of paddy fields in Khoan Kaen are expected to be used in growing off-season rice this year, and approximately 130,000 rais in Roi-et will serve the same purpose. However, almost 75% of farmers in Kalasin say they will continue to grow their rice as the water level in Lam Pao Dam is reportedly enough for farming.

-- NNT 2015-03-10

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807167-thailand-live-tuesday-10-mar-2015/page-3#entry9168684

Edited April 24, 2015 by rubl

[NickJ]

Jeez an idiot

[elgordo38]

Has anybody ever seen how rice is planted in California?........by planes.......in hours for tens or hudreds of thousands of rais.....

Newsflash They ain't got no water either.

[Srikcir]

The 72% reduction of rice production is 72% of rice that doesn't lose any profit margins.

[rubl]

The 72% reduction of rice production is 72% of rice that doesn't lose any profit margins.

You imply that the 26% remaining has no profit margin or lost it. Time for farmers to seek another crop or another job. Maybe time to blame other countries for distorting the market mechanism causing prices to drop and Thai production costs to rise ?