Lowest rainfall in 30 years prompts RID to tighten reins on Thai rice cultivation

[webfact]

Lowest rainfall in 30 years prompts RID to tighten reins on rice cultivation

BANGKOK, 10 June 2015 (NNT) - The Royal Department of Irrigation (RID) has revealed that the off-season farming has left only 3.8 billion cubic meters of water for agricultural purposes during the May - October period, while rainfall hits a 30-year low.

A meeting of the RID’s committee to monitor and analyze the nation’s water management revealed that despite government warnings, more than six million rai of land was farmed in the Chao Phraya and Mae Glong river basins. RID Director-General Lertwirot Kowattana said that agriculture activities during the drought crisis has consumed 1.2 billion cubic meters of water.

The four national reservoirs include the Bhumibol Dam, Sirikit Dam, Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, and the Khaew Noi Bamrung Dan Operation and Maintenance Project. They have a combined 3.8 billion cubic meters left for agricultural use, falling short of the department’s target of five billion cubic meters.

Reservoirs continue to sustain the off-season farmland. However, rainfall has been unable to replenish water levels. The RID recorded the lowest rainfall in 30 years.

The department has urged farmers of 4.2 million rai that have yet to begin planting rice to cease water consumption for agricultural use for 40 days, and wait for greater rainfall in mid-July.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has been instructed to inform farmers across 22 provinces in the Chao Phraya river basin of the government’s water policy.

-- NNT 2015-06-10

[Eddy B]

The farmers won't listen as their job/money comes from planting crops. They need water and will do whatever they need to do to get it. Why has Thailand not found a way to store water when we do have too much, such as when we get flooded in water holding plants. The dams can not hold all of the water as many are old and would collapse if they held 100%. The person in charge obviously out of their depth and has no knowledge of agriculture or water management.

[clockman]

Dont worry, the floods will come again one year! Typical no planning or forthought!

[webfact]

Farmers in three central provinces warned not to grow main crop due to water shortage



BANGKOK: -- Rice farmers in three central provinces who are yet to start cultivation have been warned not to grow the main crops otherwise they may end up broke or in heavy losses due to serious shortage of water.

Mr Boonchob Homkaesorn, director of Pasak irrigation project and maintenance, said that the 50,000 rai of rice farmland in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Nayok which were already cultivated were at high risk of being damaged ass there would not be enough water to feed the rice plants.

As for the remaining 30,000 rai which are yet to be cultivated, he advised farmers to better put off the cultivation because they might end up losing heavily.

Rice farmland in the three central provinces is usually fed with water drawn from the Pasak reservoir and irrigated Klong Rapeepat before it is distributed through 11 irrigation canals to the rice fields.

For the time being, no water is released from Rama VI dam in Kanchanaburi to Pasak dam as the main water gate is under repairs. Only about 45 cubic metre of water per second is released from Phra Narai water gate into Klong Rapeepat but it won’t be enough to feed all the farmland in the three provinces, said Mr Boonchob.

Also, he explained that main crops rice plants usually need a lot of water to mature.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-in-three-central-provinces-warned-not-to-grow-main-crop-due-to-water-shortage


-- Thai PBS 2015-06-10

[Srikcir]

The government's water policy has been to BEG farmers to cease water consumption for agricultural use and wait for greater rainfall later.

The farmers will plant when they decide. Especially so when Gen. Prayut's policy has been to pay the farmer's to delay their plantings.

[NCC1701A]

dry as a bone in Hua Hin.

just like California during El Nino. Six years of drought and then six years worth of rain in one month.

[Lunchbob]

Perhaps also worth mentioning is the record heat. The low rainfall also causes confusion: when to plow, when to plant seedlings, if you start pumping water you cannot stop. When the timing of things is off a ripple of chaos ensues.

The timing is off. It is too hot to work outside, yes, more than usual. Just a few degrees higher than our already normally high heat is unbearable.

[halloween]

The farmers won't listen as their job/money comes from planting crops. They need water and will do whatever they need to do to get it. Why has Thailand not found a way to store water when we do have too much, such as when we get flooded in water holding plants. The dams can not hold all of the water as many are old and would collapse if they held 100%. The person in charge obviously out of their depth and has no knowledge of agriculture or water management.

Why don't they build more dams, for both water storage and cheap electricity production? Because every time a new dam is proposed the green lobby comes out in force to oppose it with over-inflated claims of environmental damage and the possible extinction of some rare fish/frog/bird/insect. Oh yeah, and a couple of hundred people might have to move, which is more important than the other 64 million that might benefit.

[northernphil]

It has been raining heavily for the past hour up here north of C/Rai. I think we have had rain every day for the past week. Wet season here at last cooling it down

[billd766]

There is a plan for a small dam on the edge of Mae Wong national park (not the big one but the small one on the road to Klong Lan and Khampaeng Phet). If it ever gets built quite a few people will have to move and perhaps 3 or 4,000 rai will be flooded.

It has been surveyed and an EIA has been done. People are about 50/50 for/against the dam.

I think more people will be for it now as the government water we get hasn't been available since mid January and the local fire truck is out 6 days a week delivering water to many of the villages in the area.

Perhaps the no to the dam side are starting to realise that no dam means less water every year.

[dbrenn]

No worries. The junta will make it rain. They can do anything.

[robblok]

The government's water policy has been to BEG farmers to cease water consumption for agricultural use and wait for greater rainfall later.

The farmers will plant when they decide. Especially so when Gen. Prayut's policy has been to pay the farmer's to delay their plantings.

You would be the first to criticize the government if they forced them not to plant.

So whatever the government does you will find a way to criticize them. Personally I feel that farmers are selfish and that everyone has equal rights to water. Not only the farmers. I do understand it.. its their income however if that means others will not have their fair share of water its unfair.

[billd766]

The government's water policy has been to BEG farmers to cease water consumption for agricultural use and wait for greater rainfall later.

The farmers will plant when they decide. Especially so when Gen. Prayut's policy has been to pay the farmer's to delay their plantings.

You would be the first to criticize the government if they forced them not to plant.

So whatever the government does you will find a way to criticize them. Personally I feel that farmers are selfish and that everyone has equal rights to water. Not only the farmers. I do understand it.. its their income however if that means others will not have their fair share of water its unfair.

Obviously Srikcir is not a farmer and as usual has no idea what he is talking about.