Farmers urged to delay in season rice growing as water shortage critical

[Lite Beer]

Farmers urged to delay in season rice growing as water shortage critical

BANGKOK: -- Government urges rice farmers to delay in-season planting as water shortage becomes critical

The government today urged rice farmers in the Chao Phraya river basin and along the irrigation canal system to delay planting until July as water shortage is reaching critical level forcing most dams to restrict supplying water into the irrigation system.

Government deputy spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the reason to seek cooperation from farmers to delay rice farming during this period was because water levels in most major dams have receded sharply, prompting them to wait for rainwater to flow into their reservoirs before releasing water into the irrigation system for rice farming.

He said some rice fields in the irrigation system and in the Chao Phraya river basin will receive water supply to all areas early July, while some areas in mid July as planned by the royal Irrigation Department.

The department said water supply to all areas will be possible by end of July,

With this reason, he said he would like farmers to be patient and delayed rice planting for a while.

He said if farmers hurriedly start growing rice, they risked facing water shortage and that their crops might be damaged.

He urged farmers to give cooperation and refrain from pressuring authorities to release water from dams at the time water level is receding to critical level in most major dams as it would affect the department’s whole water management systems which included water for consumption.

He recalled that the government has earlier in summer asked farmers not to grow second rice crop or off-season rice in the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong river basins to store 2,900 million cubic metres of water for use in the dry season.

In that call, most farmers have given good cooperation, with only a few ignoring the call, he said.

As a consequence, at the end of the dry season, 4,113 million cubic of water had been used for farming, or
1,213 million cubic above the target, thus making major dams like Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwae Noi Bamrungdan, and Pasak Cholasith tomfall short of water supply for the new planting season.

This resulted in this new request to delay rice farming for a period until July, he said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-urged-to-delay-in-season-rice-growing-as-water-shortage-critical

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-13

[halloween]

Good luck with that.

[ratcatcher]

The Nan river outside my front door in Phichit is looking surprisingly healthy at the moment.

They must keep water flowing into the Chao Phraya otherwise Bangkok will have problems if that river level drops too low.n

[khwaibah]

They don't have a choice in my area. NO rain since November last year. Ground is like concert.

[RustBucket]

I can't see anyone in Korat province risking the cost of planting this year, there is almost no water left in the reservoirs up here. Bone dry even though it has just rained for 90 mnutes non stop just now, but the annual rainfall is set to be very low with el nino.

[khwaibah]

I just traveled this past week from Kap Choeng to Chiang Mai by Udon and from CNX back to KC by Highway 1 across over on the 205 to the 24. Over 2200 km and what I saw was not pretty. Its going to be a shyt year. The weather man is correct.

[Lite Beer]

Farmers face harder time to grow first rice crop

BANGKOK: -- The severe drought that is afflicting the country is at the moment approaching crisis levels for rice farmers in the Chao Phraya river basin and along the irrigation canals as the Irrigation Department is unable to provide adequate irrigation for in-season rice crops that have already been seeded.

Many farmers have resorted to digging artesian wells in order to water their crops while their representatives are asking the government to consider their livelihood which has been affected by the recent announcement forbidding the planting of off-season or 2nd crop in order to save water.

Again they were asked to delay rice growing for a month.

But some farmers are not aware that the Irrigation Department has ordered that the planting of in-season rice crops be delayed until the end of July.

Many who are already aware have chosen to ignore the order and have already seeded their fields because if they were to wait until the end of July, the crops will have aged completely before the arrival of the rains.

As a result when the rains arrive much of the crops will be damaged resulting in even more loss on top of the losses they have already suffered over the government’s order forbidding planting of off-season or second rice crops.

A farmer representative Thawatchai Eamjit, the chairman of the Baan Dakkanon Village Rice Breed Learning Center said the call to delay rice planting would only add more hardship to farmers.

He said rice farmers have had no earnings for 7 – 8 months already.

On top of that, it is now the new school semester and their children’s school fees will have to be paid.

“What is even worse are families with children who are now in universities and colleges where the new semester opens in July and August. These farmers already have expenses awaiting them! You must remember that in rice farming you don’t plant today and sell off the harvest tomorrow. Rice farmers must wait at least 3 – 4 months before they can sell their crops. Because of the prohibition on planting off-season crops, their income has already been severely reduced and now unbelievably, they are asking them to delay planting! I don’t know how they will cope!” he said.

He said many times in the past, farmers have had to forestall planting rice in order to conserve water for the sake of necessary consumption of residents in Bangkok and sadly it is the same this year as well.

“They have never complained but does anyone considered their plight or recognize their sacrifice. We must remember that for farmers growing crops is not only a means of making a living but is also an important way of life for them,” he added.

One farmer in Chai Nat has already seeded his plot of 30 of rai rice field for two months.

But his rice field is so far away from the main irrigation canal that no water has reached it.

So he has been forced to dig in order to get to the subterranean water.

In order to do this he has had to take out an unofficial loan of 60,000 baht in order to pay for the actual digging as well as other expenditures such as seeds, fertilizers as well as fuel to power the pumps that will pump water to the fields.

He said if the rains are late and no water is released into the irrigation canals then he could be paying as much as 20,000 in fuel bills alone.

Considering that his crop of Kor Khor 31 rice only sells for between 5,000 – 6,000 baht per ton, then all he realistically hope for is to break even.

Another farmer Mrs Lek Wattadham in Thammanoon sub-district rice of Chai Nat province said she has been working in her field from when she was a young girl helping her parents up to the present.

She is now 70 years old and admits to having no savings whatsoever and is deep in debt.

She currently owes 100,000 baht to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives because last season almost all of her rice crops were eaten by rats and she could not sell any rice.

She admits that this year she has been forced to take out unofficial or unregulated loans in order to plant this year’s rice crop but if it should fail then she would have no choice but to sell of her property.

She stated that she did not want to do so as the field has been in her family’s possession for generations and her parents had told her to look after the plot before they died.

“I have been growing rice for a very long time and before she died my mother told me not to sell the land. But if I have no choice then I will be forced divide the land up and sell them off in 2 – 3 rai plots because if the banks seizes the property I will have nothing. One of my relatives owed 370,000 Baht and had her 3 rai plot seized and now she has no house to live in.”

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-face-harder-time-to-grow-first-rice-crop

-- Thai PBS 2015-06-13

[Srikcir]

"most farmers have given good cooperation, with only a few ignoring the call,"

Only a few ignored the ban?

"Since the Thai government has banned rice farmers in 26 provinces from planting their off-season or second rice due to drought, farmers’ income per household has reduced by 70,000 baht, resulting in an estimated 25.6 billion baht less household spending." 2015-05-09

[halloween]

"most farmers have given good cooperation, with only a few ignoring the call,"

Only a few ignored the ban?

"Since the Thai government has banned rice farmers in 26 provinces from planting their off-season or second rice due to drought, farmers’ income per household has reduced by 70,000 baht, resulting in an estimated 25.6 billion baht less household spending." 2015-05-09

So a drought is the junta's fault? I suppose your right, no shortage of water when Yingluk took office, a bit too much even.

[bamnutsak]

Sacred oxen predict a good harvest this year

This year, Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry’s permanent secretary Chavalit Chookajorn served as the Lord of the Ceremony or Phraya Raekna, and chose a 4-kueb-long cloth – which signifies a bit too much water, with good yield for highland paddy fields and some crop damage for low-lying ones.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Sacred-oxen-predict-a-good-harvest-this-year-30260043.html

[seajae]

trust our apologist to try to blame this on the junta, shows just how pathetic they are becoming, going by this the ptp must owe thais millions for all the floods they were responsible for then that wiped everyone out. If these people are farmers or even know what they are doing they will realize they cannot plant when there is a drought, the junta are simply trying to stop them from losing everything when the seeds dies, again common sense comes in a distant last

[Lunchbob]

Fukushima is the main reason

[MobileContent]

"most farmers have given good cooperation, with only a few ignoring the call,"

Only a few ignored the ban?

"Since the Thai government has banned rice farmers in 26 provinces from planting their off-season or second rice due to drought, farmers’ income per household has reduced by 70,000 baht, resulting in an estimated 25.6 billion baht less household spending." 2015-05-09

So a drought is the junta's fault? I suppose your right, no shortage of water when Yingluk took office, a bit too much even.

Not really anyone fault but farmers don't listen to the government. They asked the second harvest to be cancelled but thankfully my FIL went ahead and planted his second season and got away with around 1.8t of rice enough to get through this year even if the new harvest will be destroyed due to no raining. You can be assured that when Prayith banned the second planting and many farmers listen to him they will be screwed by him as the next harvest will be nothing.

When Yingluck was in office the Bangkok governor blamed her for the flooding in Bangkok. I wonder how he gets this time out of the shit with the General in power.

Edited June 13, 2015 by MobileContent

[halloween]

So a drought is the junta's fault? I suppose your right, no shortage of water when Yingluk took office, a bit too much even.

Not really anyone fault but farmers don't listen to the government. They asked the second harvest to be cancelled but thankfully my FIL went ahead and planted his second season and got away with around 1.8t of rice enough to get through this year even if the new harvest will be destroyed due to no raining. You can be assured that when Prayith banned the second planting and many farmers listen to him they will be screwed by him as the next harvest will be nothing.

When Yingluck was in office the Bangkok governor blamed her for the flooding in Bangkok. I wonder how he gets this time out of the shit with the General in power.

It wasn't only the governor blaming Yingluk, as her government refused to start dropping out of the central dams even though it was obvious a huge volume of water was on the way downstream. Dams don't stop floods, but they can act as a buffer to reduce the peaks IF their level has been lowered. she can hardly be blamed for the flooding, but she can be blamed for not taking action to reduce the severity of it. Seems that attitude became a habit.

[GoodThaiGirl]

but people on here keep saying the rice scheme made all the farmers rich..so im sure they will be fine until the rains arrive..putting something away for a rainy day..

[jackanapes]

the shortage of water seems to be a constant problem for farmers what surprises me is the apparent lack of boreholes and wells surely this would be an answer to the problem or am I missing something here.

[MaxLee]

Ship some flood water from Bangkok only Bangkok to the rice farmers, problem solved...

Other than that during the REAL rainy season there will be plenty, PLENTY of rain coming to Thailand faster than those so called authorities expect,....

And the consequences,.....

Need I say more?

Edited June 14, 2015 by MaxLee

[jackanapes]

the government are asking the farmers not to plant the second crop of rice because of the shortage of water I think the government should compensate the farmers for time elapsed .

[CWMcMurray]

It may be sad.. But the day of successful family farms is past or soon will be.

This is not just in Thailand bit in the western world as well.

Is it sad for these lifetime farmers.. Yes... But is the reality

The sooner they accept and get out in front of things, the better off most will be.

The below is an interesting read... Is about the death of the family farm is USA... But can draw many parallels to Thailand

http://realtruth.org/articles/100607-006-family.html

Some may also find interesting thing on how subsidies can hurt the family farm...

Edited June 14, 2015 by CWMcMurray

[billd766]

the shortage of water seems to be a constant problem for farmers what surprises me is the apparent lack of boreholes and wells surely this would be an answer to the problem or am I missing something here.

When you dig a borehole or a well you will be getting water form an underground source and in some cases you may have to go past 20, 30, 40 or even 50 metres to get good water.

Having got your well and borehole dug and ther water flowing again can you think where the water will come from to replace the water that has been taken? It comes from rainfall and if the rainfall is poor the underfground water will not be replaced and the well and borehole will dry up as well.

Where do you go from that point?

[billd766]

Ship some flood water from Bangkok only Bangkok to the rice farmers, problem solved...

Other than that during the REAL rainy season there will be plenty, PLENTY of rain coming to Thailand faster than those so called authorities expect,....

And the consequences,.....

Need I say more?

How do you ship the floodwater from Bangkok 2 or 300 km uphill? Lay hundreds of km of water piping, resurrecting Plodpsrasops propellors on boats scheme but pointing them the other way? How would you get the water past the dams?

If it was that simple do you not think it would have been done before?

[Mudcrab]

A lot of interesting comments and suggestions so far but please consider that for a lot of ordinary folk...they may simply starve.

Not everyone is a farmer, a lot of people also work on farms...no rice...no farm work...no income...no food.

This ain't the nanny state.

[GinBoy2]

I find it very curious to listen to the vitriol in some of your comments. Strangely I don't see any western farmers living in the poverty I see I see here in Thailand. Yet those same western farmers are the recipients of farm credits, crop damage compensation, farm subsidies, tax relief, the list goes on and on.

But all I seem to hear from the various prognosticators on here is how Thai farmers got 'rich' from the rice pledging scheme and how stupid they are for planting in a drought. Well unlike those poor western farmers, no crop, no eat.

Maybe better to vent your anger at your home politicians who really do subsidize their farmers, who at the end of the day don't starve it they don't have a crop

[Ricardo]

the government are asking the farmers not to plant the second crop of rice because of the shortage of water I think the government should compensate the farmers for time elapsed .

Why should the government/taxpayer pay, when the rains are late or reduced, if they don't control the weather ?

At least they're warning farmers that, given the limited water-stock available for irrigation, it would be very unwise to plant early and assume that water will be able to be released, that's a start. It saves farmers from seeing the seedling-rice shrivel, and have to be re-planted.

Given also the low market-price of rice, and the vast stock stored in warehouses following the previous-administration's over-pricing policy, farmers should anyway be reducing their planting & going for higher-value/profit Hom Mali or organic rice, the drought-conditions just give a second reason why delaying makes sense.

Whether you blame the weather, or Thaksin's rice-scheme, the consequences for poor farmers are not good.

[Chupup]

Ship some flood water from Bangkok only Bangkok to the rice farmers, problem solved...

Other than that during the REAL rainy season there will be plenty, PLENTY of rain coming to Thailand faster than those so called authorities expect,....

And the consequences,.....

Need I say more?

How do you ship the floodwater from Bangkok 2 or 300 km uphill? Lay hundreds of km of water piping, resurrecting Plodpsrasops propellors on boats scheme but pointing them the other way? How would you get the water past the dams?

If it was that simple do you not think it would have been done before?

Malaysia did it, it took time and patience but they did it, but getting Thailand to do this i don't think so as its hard enough getting the canals clean so water can flow, of course banning a second rice crop would have nothing to do with the millions of tons stored in warehouses all over the country as well as the drought,

[djjamie]

trust our apologist to try to blame this on the junta, shows just how pathetic they are becoming, going by this the ptp must owe thais millions for all the floods they were responsible for then that wiped everyone out. If these people are farmers or even know what they are doing they will realize they cannot plant when there is a drought, the junta are simply trying to stop them from losing everything when the seeds dies, again common sense comes in a distant last

Logic was never their strong point. That is why I call it PTP logic.

[pjmansions]

Yet Songkhran went ahead as normal in all provinces wasting countless gallons of water

[halloween]

Yet Songkhran went ahead as normal in all provinces wasting countless gallons of water

On Samui it rained for 3 days. While rainfall may be down, not all provinces are in drought.