Thai farmers urged to cut or drop second crop

[webfact]

DROUGHT
Farmers urged to cut or drop second crop
Piyaporn Wongruang,
Erich Parpart
The Nation

PM says drought caused by deforestation in north

BANGKOK: -- PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged farmers yesterday to minimise the second rice crop in order to save water, while saying massive deforestation was the fundamental cause of drought.

The lack of rainfall, especially in the North where most of the country's reservoirs are situated, was the result of denuded forests, he said, adding that the government would also promote greater use of water from artesian wells to fight this year's drought.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phungbun na Ayutthaya said the drought was most severe in the central region as current rainfall was mostly concentrated in the South, where there were fewer reservoirs to collect water.

At least 26 million rai (4.2m hectares) of forested land, especially forests in the mountainous North, had been denuded, according to the prime minister, who said that forests were needed for the generation of rainfall.

In response to this year's drought, Prayut also asked farmers to delay their first rice crop.

"The current water reserve is enough for 3.4 million rai, which means that the remaining 3-4 million rai of farmland in the central region will face a water shortage. We are finding ways to help those farmers right now," he said.

Some farmers had also ignored the government's advice not to grow rice paddy off-season as a second crop, according to the premier, who added that moves were underway to create artificial rain in areas with reservoirs in order to increase the supply.

The Agriculture Ministry is in talks with governors of 22 provinces in the central region to explain the situation to farmers. Pitipong said he would meet governors of all provinces in the Chao Phraya basin to discuss possible urgent measures to deal with the drought.

The general public was also urged to save water, as a 10-per-cent cut in consumption would be significant in helping fight the drought so that power generation is not affected, the PM said.

The premier also urged farmers to switch to crops that need less water.

"Some farmers understood what we told them, while many did not or tried not to understand," said Prayut. "Now, the major dams are quite dry and we don't have enough water for growing rice in the second crop. Then what is next? It's really up to the rain, but the rain doesn't fall."

A senior official at the Royal Forestry Department, who asked not to be named, told The Nation that the prime minister was concerned about massive deforestation in watershed areas and had given a directive to Natural Resources and Environment Minister to instruct forestry and related agencies to develop a new strategy to tackle deforestation in such areas.

Meanwhile, Pimonwan Mahujchariyawong, deputy managing director of Kasikorn Research Centre, said the drought in the central region would further contribute to the decline of farmers' purchasing power, which had already been hit by low rice prices since the beginning of the year. The price of rice has dropped from over Bt10,000 to around Bt7,800 per tonne, she said.

Pimonwan said low crop prices had decreased the farm sector's gross product by around 10 per cent in the first quarter, and this was likely to remain unchanged in the current quarter.

"A slowdown in farmers' purchasing power will contribute to a slowdown in the sale of automobiles and products related to farm production and machinery," she said.

The government should concentrate on increasing farmers' productivity and prices for agricultural products, she suggested.

Source:http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Farmers-urged-to-cut-or-drop-second-crop-30262479.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-17

[Mango Bob]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

[Somtamnication]

Now the price of rice will go up. Good job!

[edwinchester]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

If you are paid over the odds to produce rice then you are going to grow rice. If you want to apportion blame attach it where it is due, firmly at the door of the rice scheme.

[kerrysum]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

Not much to say but, Exactly!

[Robby nz]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

[dcutman]

which had already been hit by low rice prices since the beginning of the year. The price of rice has dropped from over Bt10,000 to around Bt7,800 per tonne, she said.

Dont really understand why farmers want to plant rice at these prices. Bt 7800 is below production cost.

[Bob12345]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

Your post contains some obvious BS, but out of fear of Thai law i will not point it out.

[Mango Bob]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

Your post contains some obvious BS, but out of fear of Thai law i will not point it out.

Why do you have a problem point it out without insulting people? Or do you just have to insult someone to make your point.

[billd766]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

Perhaps it was greedy politicians from 3 or 4 years ago who encouraged them to borrow money and plant all that rice in the first place thus wrecking Thailands position as the worlds leading exporter of rice.

Could it have been mininster of agriculture who insisted that the dams be kept full to the brim so that farmers would have water to plant and harvest their crops and then ordered the gates opened and indirectly or directly caused the floods in BKK during 2011? The same minister of agriculture who ordered the dams to dump water in 2012 just in case there were more floods. There weren't and now there is a severe shortage of water in those same dams.

Nah. It must have only been greedy farmers because Mango Bob said so, therefore it must be true.

Edited June 17, 2015 by billd766

[billd766]

Now the price of rice will go up. Good job!

What a pith that there is not enough water to plant the rice so that the farmers can get a good price for their crop.

[Bob12345]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

Your post contains some obvious BS, but out of fear of Thai law i will not point it out.

Why do you have a problem point it out without insulting people? Or do you just have to insult someone to make your point.

I dont have to insult someone to make my point, but even pointing out the truth can land you in jail for a long time as everything said can be twisted into an insult in one way or the other.

Even if i trusted the thai judiciary and had money enough for a long legal defense i would be careful as there is no transparancy or justice possible with some laws here.

[halloween]

Though there are many reasons to think that cutting down forests is a bad idea, I don't think a lack of local rainfall is one of them. This didn't happen overnight, or even in the last few years.

[Robby nz]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

Your post contains some obvious BS, but out of fear of Thai law i will not point it out.

The great cop out.

As I live in a rice growing area I have followed the pledging scheme closely and have an extensive data base of links I can to refer to ensure I post the truth.

If you are not prepared to prove me wrong butt out.

[Bob12345]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

There could also be some blame on the govt who after the 2011 floods lowered the dam levels to 50% even though they were repeatedly told by the weather people that there the country was heading for drought. They wanted to take them down to 30% but His Majesty told them "No Way, dams should never go below 50%"

Had there been no Rice pledging there would have been no extra crops to take advantage of the scheme.

But as a supporter of PT and a defender of the indefensible you will attempt to blame anyone else.

Your post contains some obvious BS, but out of fear of Thai law i will not point it out.

The great cop out.

As I live in a rice growing area I have followed the pledging scheme closely and have an extensive data base of links I can to refer to ensure I post the truth.

If you are not prepared to prove me wrong butt out.

Let me put it this way:

When you use information supplied by the ministry of propaganda ( "his majesty told them" ) my doubts are rising.

Also the sentence "the weather people repeatedly told them" sounds a bit convenient. With hindsind you can always find someone who warned them and point out they should have listened. But its about what the general perception was at that moment. Did all weather people warn them of upcoming draught, or was the future weather unknown by then? Hint, they cannot even predict tomorrows weather, so why trust their predictions of draught 5 years ahead?

So dive in your database and show me where the king himself told the government in 2011 (or later) how to manage dam water levels.

And then show me what the general perception of "weather people" was in 2011 about draughts in 2015 that were coming.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Bob12345

[IMA_FARANG]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

------------------------------

Not really, as there are many causes.

In truth deforestation, often makes the situation worse as removing the forest increases the runoff during rains as the trees and vegetation work to increase water retention and reduce runoff of the rain.

Vegetation increases water retention in the soil and slows down runoff during rain storms by trapping rainfall in the vegetation and trees.

But in fact it is a complicated problem with no one single easy answer.

Often deforestation and removal of vegetation cover starts with a Greedy person who buys the land and removes all the trees for profit without caring about what that will do to the land and the erosion the deforestation will cause.

Once you remove the vegetation cover, erosion often takes the topsoil and from there it all goes downhill.

[IMA_FARANG]

The cause for the lack of water are the greedy farmers who during the rice scheme just planted one crop after another.

------------------------------

Not really, as there are many causes.

In truth deforestation, often makes the situation worse as removing the forest increases the runoff during rains as the trees and vegetation work to increase water retention and reduce runoff of the rain.

Vegetation increases water retention in the soil and slows down runoff during rain storms by trapping rainfall in the vegetation and trees.

But in fact it is a complicated problem with no one single easy answer.

Often deforestation and removal of vegetation cover starts with a Greedy person who buys the land and removes all the trees for profit without caring about what that will do to the land and the erosion the deforestation will cause.

Once you remove the vegetation cover, erosion often takes the topsoil and from there it all goes downhill.

[Robby nz]

Let me put it this way:
When you use information supplied by the ministry of propaganda ( "his majesty told them" ) my doubts are rising.

Also the sentence "the weather people repeatedly told them" sounds a bit convenient. With hindsind you can always find someone who warned them and point out they should have listened. But its about what the general perception was at that moment. Did all weather people warn them of upcoming draught, or was the future weather unknown by then? Hint, they cannot even predict tomorrows weather, so why trust their predictions of draught 5 years ahead?

So dive in your database and show me where the king himself told the government in 2011 (or later) how to manage dam water levels

And then show me what the general perception of "weather people" was in 2011 about draughts in 2015 that were coming.

No problem at all.

Posted 2012-02-29 05:44:03 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/537014-dams-in-thailand-to-be-kept-50-to-60-full/

BANGKOK: -- The government is adjusting its water-management plan in line with His Majesty's advice and the current situation. Under the new scheme, the volume of water in dams will no longer be kept at or below 45 per cent of their total capacity.

"Water levels in some dams might be allowed to hit 50 or 60 per cent," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said, adding that the proposal to set up a forest-development company was a good idea.

"in line with His Majesty's advice"

Got that ?

Yes that came from the ministry of propaganda of the Yingluck Govt.

As for weather predictions, from http://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm.

El Niño La Niña Weak Mod Strong Very Strong Weak Mod Strong 1952-53 1951-52 1957-58 1982-83 1950-51 1955-56 1973-74 1953-54 1963-64 1965-66 1997-98 1954-55 1970-71 1975-76 1958-59 1968-69 1972-73 1956-57 1998-99 1988-89 1969-70 1986-87 1987-88 1964-65 2007-08 1999-00 1976-77 1991-92 1971-72 2010-11 1977-78 1994-95 1974-75 2004-05 2002-03 1983-84 2006-07 2009-10 1984-85 2014-15 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2008-09 2011-12

That chart shows clearly that 2010 and 2011 were strong La Nina years which brought the floods, Yes there was flooding in 2010 but it was better managed (yes I can prove it) so they didn't get to BKK.

Also shows La Nina was weakening from 2011 to 2012 and changing to the El Nino pattern we see today.

Forecasters all over the world were predicting this not just in Thailand.

If you don't understand El Nino and La Nina look it up I am not going to educate you.

Unfortunately the chart didn't come out as it should when I posted, look up the link to get it.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Robby nz

[billd766]

Let me put it this way:

When you use information supplied by the ministry of propaganda ( "his majesty told them" ) my doubts are rising.

Also the sentence "the weather people repeatedly told them" sounds a bit convenient. With hindsind you can always find someone who warned them and point out they should have listened. But its about what the general perception was at that moment. Did all weather people warn them of upcoming draught, or was the future weather unknown by then? Hint, they cannot even predict tomorrows weather, so why trust their predictions of draught 5 years ahead?

So dive in your database and show me where the king himself told the government in 2011 (or later) how to manage dam water levels

And then show me what the general perception of "weather people" was in 2011 about draughts in 2015 that were coming.

No problem at all.

Posted 2012-02-29 05:44:03 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/537014-dams-in-thailand-to-be-kept-50-to-60-full/

BANGKOK: -- The government is adjusting its water-management plan in line with His Majesty's advice and the current situation. Under the new scheme, the volume of water in dams will no longer be kept at or below 45 per cent of their total capacity.

"Water levels in some dams might be allowed to hit 50 or 60 per cent," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said, adding that the proposal to set up a forest-development company was a good idea.

"in line with His Majesty's advice"

Got that ?

Yes that came from the ministry of propaganda of the Yingluck Govt.

As for weather predictions, from http://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm.

El Niño La Niña Weak Mod Strong Very Strong Weak Mod Strong 1952-53 1951-52 1957-58 1982-83 1950-51 1955-56 1973-74 1953-54 1963-64 1965-66 1997-98 1954-55 1970-71 1975-76 1958-59 1968-69 1972-73 1956-57 1998-99 1988-89 1969-70 1986-87 1987-88 1964-65 2007-08 1999-00 1976-77 1991-92 1971-72 2010-11 1977-78 1994-95 1974-75 2004-05 2002-03 1983-84 2006-07 2009-10 1984-85 2014-15 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2008-09 2011-12

That chart shows clearly that 2010 and 2011 were strong La Nina years which brought the floods, Yes there was flooding in 2010 but it was better managed (yes I can prove it) so they didn't get to BKK.

Also shows La Nina was weakening from 2011 to 2012 and changing to the El Nino pattern we see today.

Forecasters all over the world were predicting this not just in Thailand.

If you don't understand El Nino and La Nina look it up I am not going to educate you.

Unfortunately the chart didn't come out as it should when I posted, look up the link to get it.

Robby That link works for me and I can more or less understand it.

I also remember the warning from the King about the water supply to the dams. The King has been extremely knowledgeably about water, floods, droughts, irrigation and farming for at least 20 years that I know of and also for a long time before that.

Politicians on the other hand have only a superficial knowledge of a few subjects most of which are of no use to man nor beast. Unfortunately they become mininsters of some deparment or other and immediately want to change everything and put THEIR stamp on it. Later on when the music stops there is another minister doing the same with the same knowledge level and certainly under the PTP it used to happen about every 6 months for Buggins turn next.

[Bob12345]

...

Your first point landed, the second not yet.

I followed your link and see a website with historical data regarding El Nino / La Nina. I expected a website with predicted rainfall / draughts about 4-5 years out.

[Bob12345]

...

Robby That link works for me and I can more or less understand it.

I also remember the warning from the King about the water supply to the dams. The King has been extremely knowledgeably about water, floods, droughts, irrigation and farming for at least 20 years that I know of and also for a long time before that.

Politicians on the other hand have only a superficial knowledge of a few subjects most of which are of no use to man nor beast. Unfortunately they become mininsters of some deparment or other and immediately want to change everything and put THEIR stamp on it. Later on when the music stops there is another minister doing the same with the same knowledge level and certainly under the PTP it used to happen about every 6 months for Buggins turn next.

It is hard to discuss your second paragraph as having another opinion is illegal and punishable up to 30 years in jail.

Your third paragraph is easy to agree with. And its not only politicians doing that, also army generals who grab power have that same trait.

[Robby nz]

...

Your first point landed, the second not yet.

I followed your link and see a website with historical data regarding El Nino / La Nina. I expected a website with predicted rainfall / draughts about 4-5 years out.

Read it again and you will see it has predictions up to 2015, then try to get an understanding of the El Nino, La Nina effect which has a profound effect on world weather and rainfall in particular.

If you are really interested then look around for yourself. If not you are just another uninformed troll trying to have a go at me.

[Bob12345]

...

Your first point landed, the second not yet.

I followed your link and see a website with historical data regarding El Nino / La Nina. I expected a website with predicted rainfall / draughts about 4-5 years out.

Read it again and you will see it has predictions up to 2015, then try to get an understanding of the El Nino, La Nina effect which has a profound effect on world weather and rainfall in particular.

If you are really interested then look around for yourself. If not you are just another uninformed troll trying to have a go at me.

Predictions up to 2015 is easy, cause it is 2015 already. Normally predictions go into the future, so i was looking for forecasted rains in 2019 (4 years from now) because you stated that back in 2011 most weather people told the then government a draught was coming.

Or did i oversee something here?

[mikemac]

Let me put it this way:

When you use information supplied by the ministry of propaganda ( "his majesty told them" ) my doubts are rising.

Also the sentence "the weather people repeatedly told them" sounds a bit convenient. With hindsind you can always find someone who warned them and point out they should have listened. But its about what the general perception was at that moment. Did all weather people warn them of upcoming draught, or was the future weather unknown by then? Hint, they cannot even predict tomorrows weather, so why trust their predictions of draught 5 years ahead?

So dive in your database and show me where the king himself told the government in 2011 (or later) how to manage dam water levels

And then show me what the general perception of "weather people" was in 2011 about draughts in 2015 that were coming.

No problem at all.

Posted 2012-02-29 05:44:03 http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/537014-dams-in-thailand-to-be-kept-50-to-60-full/

BANGKOK: -- The government is adjusting its water-management plan in line with His Majesty's advice and the current situation. Under the new scheme, the volume of water in dams will no longer be kept at or below 45 per cent of their total capacity.

"Water levels in some dams might be allowed to hit 50 or 60 per cent," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said, adding that the proposal to set up a forest-development company was a good idea.

"in line with His Majesty's advice"

Got that ?

Yes that came from the ministry of propaganda of the Yingluck Govt.

As for weather predictions, from http://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm.

El Niño La Niña Weak Mod Strong Very Strong Weak Mod Strong 1952-53 1951-52 1957-58 1982-83 1950-51 1955-56 1973-74 1953-54 1963-64 1965-66 1997-98 1954-55 1970-71 1975-76 1958-59 1968-69 1972-73 1956-57 1998-99 1988-89 1969-70 1986-87 1987-88 1964-65 2007-08 1999-00 1976-77 1991-92 1971-72 2010-11 1977-78 1994-95 1974-75 2004-05 2002-03 1983-84 2006-07 2009-10 1984-85 2014-15 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2008-09 2011-12

That chart shows clearly that 2010 and 2011 were strong La Nina years which brought the floods, Yes there was flooding in 2010 but it was better managed (yes I can prove it) so they didn't get to BKK.

Also shows La Nina was weakening from 2011 to 2012 and changing to the El Nino pattern we see today.

Forecasters all over the world were predicting this not just in Thailand.

If you don't understand El Nino and La Nina look it up I am not going to educate you.

Unfortunately the chart didn't come out as it should when I posted, look up the link to get it.

Robby That link works for me and I can more or less understand it.

I also remember the warning from the King about the water supply to the dams. The King has been extremely knowledgeably about water, floods, droughts, irrigation and farming for at least 20 years that I know of and also for a long time before that.

Politicians on the other hand have only a superficial knowledge of a few subjects most of which are of no use to man nor beast. Unfortunately they become mininsters of some deparment or other and immediately want to change everything and put THEIR stamp on it. Later on when the music stops there is another minister doing the same with the same knowledge level and certainly under the PTP it used to happen about every 6 months for Buggins turn next.

.........................."Politicians on the other hand have only a superficial knowledge of a few subjects most of which are of no use to man nor beast."...................

Well put, bill, a vary accurate description of the blood sucking leeches that in most cases should have been drowned at birth.

And Robby, please stop feeding the troll !

[Chao Lao Beach]

he said, adding that the government would also promote greater use of water from artesian wells to fight this year's drought.

Serious Question, will this increase salinity issues ?

[mikemac]

he said, adding that the government would also promote greater use of water from artesian wells to fight this year's drought.

Serious Question, will this increase salinity issues ?

And a very good question. In Australia there were lots of issues with the water table being over-tapped by the use of too many artesian wells and the salt level rising to the surface and the well water becoming salty. I think that is how it works anyway.

Hope this does not happen to Thailand.

[Jai Dee]

Nice to see you guys getting back on topic.

I had to removed one post that was not only off-topic but was a personal attack or flame on another member.