PM Prayut says he does not want to force farmers to shift to alternative crops

[webfact]

PM says he does not want to force farmers to shift to alternative crops



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha made it clear that he didn’t want to force farmers to stop rice cultivation in light of anticipated water shortage but would prefer them to volunteer to shift to other crops which consume less water and marketable.

He said that it was not possible for the government to keep subsidizing rice farmers endlessly as the government would have to take care of other farming groups as well such as orchard and rubber planters.

In areas where cultivation of crops which consume less water is not possible, the government will try to introduce supplementary occupations such as animal raising so that the farmers can, at least, survive the forthcoming dry season, said the prime minister.

He warned that drought would get worse after next April because the amount of water kept at the main dams today was just half of the amount registered last year which was already dry.

Officials will approach farmers individually to ask them whether they agree to shift to alternative crops during the coming months or not, said the prime minister, adding this approach will enable officials to know how many farmers own land and how many of them have to rent farmland for cultivation.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-says-he-does-not-want-to-force-farmers-to-shift-to-alternative-crops


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-07

[Reigntax]

Oh pm you are a funny little man full of ideas from the 19th century.

[Reigntax]

But if necessary, he will summons them for some agricultural adjustment.

[BuckBee]

instead of playing with lottery tickets water management efforts would of been better use of resources .

sh1t is going to hit the fan & won't be much water to clean it up but expect all the big boy's beemers & mia noi's mercs will still be shiny clean & isan maid will be busy washing down the mansion pavements with gallons of lovely water in the elite provinces ...

Edited October 6, 2015 by BuckBee

[BigBadGeordie]

He does not want to force them, BUT, "Officials will approach farmers imdividually to ask them whether or not they agree to shift to alternative crops...."

Oh well, that seems all fair and above board, just a touch of (as Reigntax puts it) agricultural adjustment ;-)

Edited October 7, 2015 by BigBadGeordie

[bamnutsak]

Yes, State Planning works out so well, everywhere, all the time.

Classic Paternialism where one inexperienced man, though some freak accident ends up at the top of the heap telling everyone what to do, or in this case, what NOT to do.

Honestly, does he have to talk so much? Does he need the attention?

Officials will approach farmers individually to ask them whether they agree to shift to alternative crops during the coming months

Attitude Adjustment for farmers?

[losgrad]

Central Planning Economy vs. Market driven

The transition continues....

[ezzra]

For generations now, and for many Thai governments to their successions, they all new not to screw

with Thai farmers being the grass roots of up country's voters, they all knew all too well that if you

got the farmers on your side, your winning is assured and it's best to keep the tiger fed and happy,

now, when water is at critical shortage, the one PM that dare to change the order of things, he has

to gravel and beg them to plant alternate crops, this is the price Thailand have to pay now for years

of ignoring the problems by throwing good money after bad.....

[kuiburi]

Sounds sensible to me , change to other crops is better for the soil and maybe brings in more money with less work .

Maybe farmers that agree to change crops need to get some education on the crops they can grow .

[selftaopath]

Sounds sensible to me , change to other crops is better for the soil and maybe brings in more money with less work .

Maybe farmers that agree to change crops need to get some education on the crops they can grow .

Less work? Is growing rice labor intensive? From what I see around our village it is NOT.

Also I don't think the average Thai listens to anything. S/He follows the rule "they are FREE" to do anything they desire....no need to follow any law/dictate.

[kuiburi]

Sounds sensible to me , change to other crops is better for the soil and maybe brings in more money with less work .

Maybe farmers that agree to change crops need to get some education on the crops they can grow .

Less work? Is growing rice labor intensive? From what I see around our village it is NOT.

Also I don't think the average Thai listens to anything. S/He follows the rule "they are FREE" to do anything they desire....no need to follow any law/dictate.

Where did I write that growing rice labor is intensive ? I wrote that there are "maybe" crops with less work .

The characters of Thai people are not the same all over the country , depends of what province you live .

[FangFerang]

If the government sent 'round agricultural experts who would look at Ph levels and terrain, recommend, educate in how to plant and maintain and harvest an alternative crop -- many farmers would gladly switch if the yield was also equitable.

Keeping people ignorant is diseducation.

Threats come only from oligarchs.

[anon467367354]

If the farmers ever found out how cheap and easy it is to grow hemp and what major cash crop it is,

he'd have to try to convince the farmers to grow rice again.

There is no crop on the planet worth growing more than hemp.

Come on Thailand, think progress!

[Srikcir]

"the government will try to introduce supplementary occupations such as animal raising"

Or maybe farmers can buy "magic beans." Because it will take magic for heavily debt-ridden rice farmers to find more equity to buy livestock, build necessary infrastructure, buy equipment, learn the trade, and find market channels. Even if the government provided assistance in the form of more cash subsidies and loans, such a transformation cannot instantly be successfull.

Telling farmers what their employment options are is not a realistic option. I think its telling that Somkid has not suggested rice farmers change their farming businesses - in the short term (less than three years) such a change is impractical. Perhaps that's why we are hearing from Prayut instead. The current government cannot guarantee long term solutions.

[oneday]

It's simple Mr. P. You task the department responsible for assisting your farmer citizens with going out and helping farmers face-to-face, one village at a time. You can't just stand idle and tell farmers what they should do and expect it to happen just because you snapped your fingers.

[maoro2013]

The government trying to fiddle with the market forces again. They have failed every time so far with the rubber and the rice.

[Jonmarleesco]

Perhaps not, but economic logic suggests someone will eventually have to.

[MaeJoMTB]

For generations now, and for many Thai governments to their successions, they all new not to screw

with Thai farmers being the grass roots of up country's voters, they all knew all too well that if you

got the farmers on your side, your winning is assured and it's best to keep the tiger fed and happy,

now, when water is at critical shortage, the one PM that dare to change the order of things, he has

to gravel and beg them to plant alternate crops, this is the price Thailand have to pay now for years

of ignoring the problems by throwing good money after bad.....

Yeah,but now the farmers aren't voters, and probably won't be for the foreseeable future.

[jonclark]

If the government sent 'round agricultural experts who would look at Ph levels and terrain, recommend, educate in how to plant and maintain and harvest an alternative crop -- many farmers would gladly switch if the yield was also equitable.

Keeping people ignorant is diseducation.

Threats come only from oligarchs.

Those were my thoughts.

I think the PM is right in trying to foretell the drought next year and get farmers to switch in anticipation of it.

But, these farmers are usually poor, small scale subsistence, farmers, who have amazing local knowledge of growing rice, but other cash crops? In all likelihood the could well lack the understanding and probably the money to instantly switch from one crop to another.

I would be interested to know what crop the PM has in mind that can be grown and harvested within 1 - 1.5 years in apparently dry conditions and still produce a profitable yield?

Or are we going to have 5 million pig and / or chicken farmers pop up overnight?

Edited October 7, 2015 by jonclark

[Thai at Heart]

If the government sent 'round agricultural experts who would look at Ph levels and terrain, recommend, educate in how to plant and maintain and harvest an alternative crop -- many farmers would gladly switch if the yield was also equitable.

Keeping people ignorant is diseducation.

Threats come only from oligarchs.

Those were my thoughts.

I think the PM is right in trying to foretell the drought next year and get farmers to switch in anticipation of it.

But, these farmers are usually poor, small scale subsistence, farmers, who have amazing local knowledge of growing rice, but other cash crops? In all likelihood the could well lack the understanding and probably the money to instantly switch from one crop to another.

I would be interested to know what crop the PM has in mind that can be grown and harvested within 1 - 1.5 years in apparently dry conditions and still produce a profitable yield?

Or are we going to have 5 million pig and / or chicken farmers pop up overnight?

The agriculture ministry and private companies have been advising and training these farmers for decades. The soils have been sampled for decades. Issan was historically an inland sea so the soil has high chloride in areas. The fact is, large tracts of isaan are bone dry except for a period when they grow rice. In my previous employ we provided a very profitable off season crop in some areas of isaan, but chloride soils mean it can't be grown everywhere.

We provided a huge agricultural extension service to farmers but some still after 30 years they persist in using incorrect fertiliser and pesticides even when provided to them at cost.

Farmers dropped out when rice prices were high. I would imagine they will be wanting to get back into this product this year.

Fact is, growing anything in Isan is hard damn work and the Export prices for commodities such as sugar and rubber fluctuate wildly.

The biggest barrier to changing is the strict rule that foreign companies must have a Thai partner in order to enter agribusiness in Thailand. This keeps the pockets of excise well plumped and puts off God knows how many entrants to the market who would pay farmers directly instead of relying on middlemen.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Thai at Heart

[phoenixdoglover]

We visited my wife's village outside Khon Kaen yesterday. They are planting rice now, and they are cultivating mushrooms as a hedge against a poor rice crop. I think the mushroom business is new in this village.