Thai farmers warned again not to grow off-season rice

[webfact]

Farmers warned again not to grow off-season rice



BANGKOK: -- The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has warned farmers again not to plant off-season rice as there is still insufficient water for rice farming in the upcoming dry season although there would be rains during the past weeks.

The ministry’s permanent secretary Teerapat Prayoonsit said yesterday that there are several large areas in the country that did not receive rain in the past few weeks.

In addition, it was apparent that water levels at four major Irrigation dams namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Pasak Jolasid and Khwae Noi Bamrungdaen, and reservoirs and Kam Ling (monkey cheek) retention areas remained insufficient for the upcoming off-season rice farming next month.

Accelerating artificial rain-making operations to help increase water levels at dams in the north and the northeastern regions will start by the end of this month when farmers will begin their off-season rice cultivation.

He said the ministry is also working with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to dig more groundwater wells for farming purpose, adding the operations should begin today.

In another development, the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation’s director-general Lersak Rewtarkulpaiboon said recent rain-making missions have achieved the target of increasing water levels at the four major dams to 3,700 million cubic metres.

He said in the next two weeks, rain-making missions should help raise water levels the dams to 4,400 million cubic metres.

But despite increased rainmaking missions, he said there will still be not enough water for off-season rice farming.

He then urged farmers and the public to strictly heed the government’s recommendation on water conservation.

The government has earlier said that it will give priority to households’ water consumption and warn farmers of planting off-season rice as water will be insufficient.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/famers-warned-again-not-to-grow-off-season-rice


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-15

[ChrisY1]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

[worgeordie]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

[MaeJoMTB]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

[MESmith]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

Out my way, (Chiang Mai, east side) a lot of dry season paddy fields are used for tobacco, chillies, beans, corn & other veg.

[billd766]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

So, if you were in charge of the country, what would you do, mastermind?

Bear in mind that one reason the reservoirs are so low is that the previous "elected" government ordered the the reservoir levels be lowered past the minimum safe level against ALL the advice of ALL the concerned departments. The same "elected" government government the year previously ordered the dams to be kept as full as possible so that rice farmers could grow more rice for the great rice scam.

Now YOU are blaming this government for yet another thing which is beyond their control.

The fact that the country is in an El Nino situation of far less rainfall (which this government also cannot fix) and not only do the farmers need water for their crops but millions of people lower down the river also need water for household purposes, who should get the priority?

YOU make the decision.

While you are at it also reverse the drought situation and fill the reservoirs to a good safe level. Or would that be too difficult for a keyboard warrior like yourself?

[anon467848]

Looks like the Junta will have dip into their deep pockets to pay the farmers, NOT TO GROW rice. Rice subsidy in reverse.

[ChrisY1]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

Out my way, (Chiang Mai, east side) a lot of dry season paddy fields are used for tobacco, chillies, beans, corn & other veg.

Understand.....there's plenty of things for them to grow......but the resources needed to grow alternative crops for many farmers is too expensive for them...........and most need water!

[Oziex1]

Today ordering them not not grow maybe the only option.

What does the future bring for Thai agriculture, will there be any real help, advice sound alternatives to current practices.

Is there scientific research into bringing food production into the 21st century and if so will it be applied in a manner that Thai growers will accept.

Always when I raise questions on the potential for a bright future for this country, I come back to the pressing need for it all to start with education and this is where all our ideas, good intentions and arguments fall down.

Without education and the development of intellect it provides, little will change.

[MZurf]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

So, if you were in charge of the country, what would you do, mastermind?

Bear in mind that one reason the reservoirs are so low is that the previous "elected" government ordered the the reservoir levels be lowered past the minimum safe level against ALL the advice of ALL the concerned departments. The same "elected" government government the year previously ordered the dams to be kept as full as possible so that rice farmers could grow more rice for the great rice scam.

Now YOU are blaming this government for yet another thing which is beyond their control.

The fact that the country is in an El Nino situation of far less rainfall (which this government also cannot fix) and not only do the farmers need water for their crops but millions of people lower down the river also need water for household purposes, who should get the priority?

YOU make the decision.

While you are at it also reverse the drought situation and fill the reservoirs to a good safe level. Or would that be too difficult for a keyboard warrior like yourself?

Why are you using quotation marks every time you write the word elected? When discussing the junta do you also use them when writing non-elected?

[Thian]

Is it legal to grow tobacco being a ricefarmer? If they even can make cigarettes from it and are allowed to sell those then i would see a good future for them.

Or they could grow a crop to make alcohol from. I wonder if that would reach BKK though

Maybe they can grow cloves and make kretek-cigarettes like in Indonesia.

[MESmith]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

Out my way, (Chiang Mai, east side) a lot of dry season paddy fields are used for tobacco, chillies, beans, corn & other veg.

Understand.....there's plenty of things for them to grow......but the resources needed to grow alternative crops for many farmers is too expensive for them...........and most need water!

But a lot less water than rice!+!

Resources too expensive? To plant corn or beans? I'm speaking from my observations in an area of Chiang Mai that gets little water in the dry season. The tobacco farmers probably get help from the tobacco buyers that have business in Chiang Mai. I think farmers have guaranteed market for corn.

[billd766]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

So, if you were in charge of the country, what would you do, mastermind?

Bear in mind that one reason the reservoirs are so low is that the previous "elected" government ordered the the reservoir levels be lowered past the minimum safe level against ALL the advice of ALL the concerned departments. The same "elected" government government the year previously ordered the dams to be kept as full as possible so that rice farmers could grow more rice for the great rice scam.

Now YOU are blaming this government for yet another thing which is beyond their control.

The fact that the country is in an El Nino situation of far less rainfall (which this government also cannot fix) and not only do the farmers need water for their crops but millions of people lower down the river also need water for household purposes, who should get the priority?

YOU make the decision.

While you are at it also reverse the drought situation and fill the reservoirs to a good safe level. Or would that be too difficult for a keyboard warrior like yourself?

Why are you using quotation marks every time you write the word elected? When discussing the junta do you also use them when writing non-elected?

According to many posters an elected government is all about democracy and working for and by the people.

The last "elected" PTP government had little if any democracy and certainly did very little for MOST of the people of Thailand and to my way of thinking just being "elected" does not give any government the right to act as they wish in ignore the people of Thailand.

Just being "elected" is only the first step on the road to democracy. Sadly most governments since 1932 never took the second and subsequent steps.

[billd766]

Is it legal to grow tobacco being a ricefarmer? If they even can make cigarettes from it and are allowed to sell those then i would see a good future for them.

Or they could grow a crop to make alcohol from. I wonder if that would reach BKK though

Maybe they can grow cloves and make kretek-cigarettes like in Indonesia.

I am fairly sure that tobacco used to be grown in Issan around Nakhon Phanom when I worked up that way years ago.

[MZurf]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

So, if you were in charge of the country, what would you do, mastermind?

Bear in mind that one reason the reservoirs are so low is that the previous "elected" government ordered the the reservoir levels be lowered past the minimum safe level against ALL the advice of ALL the concerned departments. The same "elected" government government the year previously ordered the dams to be kept as full as possible so that rice farmers could grow more rice for the great rice scam.

Now YOU are blaming this government for yet another thing which is beyond their control.

The fact that the country is in an El Nino situation of far less rainfall (which this government also cannot fix) and not only do the farmers need water for their crops but millions of people lower down the river also need water for household purposes, who should get the priority?

YOU make the decision.

While you are at it also reverse the drought situation and fill the reservoirs to a good safe level. Or would that be too difficult for a keyboard warrior like yourself?

Why are you using quotation marks every time you write the word elected? When discussing the junta do you also use them when writing non-elected?

According to many posters an elected government is all about democracy and working for and by the people.

The last "elected" PTP government had little if any democracy and certainly did very little for MOST of the people of Thailand and to my way of thinking just being "elected" does not give any government the right to act as they wish in ignore the people of Thailand.

Just being "elected" is only the first step on the road to democracy. Sadly most governments since 1932 never took the second and subsequent steps.

The previous government was not exactly a dream team (quite the opposite) but it was elected, not "elected".

Edited October 15, 2015 by MZurf

[MESmith]

Is it legal to grow tobacco being a ricefarmer? If they even can make cigarettes from it and are allowed to sell those then i would see a good future for them.

Or they could grow a crop to make alcohol from. I wonder if that would reach BKK though

Maybe they can grow cloves and make kretek-cigarettes like in Indonesia.

I am fairly sure that tobacco used to be grown in Issan around Nakhon Phanom when I worked up that way years ago.

There's a large tobacco leaf drying plant south of Chiang Mai.

[MaeJoMTB]

I am fairly sure that tobacco used to be grown in Issan around Nakhon Phanom when I worked up that way years ago.

I was growing it in Lomsak 5 years ago.

Here I am stripping the spine out of the leaves.

Edited October 15, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[attrayant]

Maybe it's time for Thai farmers to look at some drought tolerant crops like certain cultivars of potato. Does it really matter whether people get their starch from rice or potatoes?

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[otherstuff1957]

This website:

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_bigcm.php?sdate=2015-10-15

Shows the current level of water stored in reservoirs in Thailand. The colored numbers show the percent of usable water in each Dam. The first section in the North, - Average 41% full, then the North East - Average 48% full, and then Central Thailand - 48% full.

We are less than a month away from the end of the rainy season and all of these reservoirs are dangerously low. Only the south currently has enough water.

If the farmers ignore this warning, your household faucets will run dry before next Songkran. The thought of living in a city with 11 million people who have not been able to take a shower is horrifying!

Edited October 15, 2015 by otherstuff1957

[FritsSikkink]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

be a proper farmer and grow something else

[halloween]

This website:

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_bigcm.php?sdate=2015-10-15

Shows the current level of water stored in reservoirs in Thailand. The colored numbers show the percent of usable water in each Dam. The first section in the North, - Average 41% full, then the North East - Average 48% full, and then Central Thailand - 48% full.

We are less than a month away from the end of the rainy season and all of these reservoirs are dangerously low. Only the south currently has enough water.

If the farmers ignore this warning, your household faucets will run dry before next Songkran. The thought of living in a city with 11 million people who have not been able to take a shower is horrifying!

If you had used an English version (http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en) you would see that the coloured numbers are percentage level. Usable level is 2 columns to the right, and usually far lower figures.

[Katipo]

Isn't it wonderful when millionaire politicians can tell poor farmers to suck it up and be even poorer.

One might argue that it's the farmers own fault and that they should diversify into less water intensive crops.

But then one could counter argue that if the incompetent politicians did their jobs and actually helped the farmers (and Thai society in general) improve their lot instead of just lining their own pockets, then this problem wouldn't exist in the first place.

[manarak]

They wont take any notice,will go ahead and try and grow

rice,the rice will most likely die through lack of water.and

the farmers will want the government to compensate for

their loses.

regards worgeordie

What choice do they have?

well, they could all wear red, go burn some provicial government offices and some high rises in Bangkok, take on debt, spend all the money and wait for the government to bail them out.

but maybe someone with a better knowledge of Thai farming industry in general and rice growing in particular can make a more intelligent comment.

my impression is that Thai farming is far from being well organised.

Edited October 15, 2015 by manarak

[farmerjo]

When the government says,no rice,i'm pretty sure it pertains to the areas that have been set up with government irrigation canals from major dams.

For the folks who dont have this oppurtunity,they grow one crop a year or have set their farms up with dams,bores etc and can do what they like.

So it doesn't apply to everybody.

[mike324]

Thai farmers yield per rai is lower than that of their neighbors such as Vietnam. Growing rice is not exactly rocket science, countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are experts. Its just that the Thai government has not done enough to help the farmers other then handing them cold hard cash. Only education can turn this country around, and it will take at least 20 years to see change if reforms in education starts now.

[elgordo38]

Eat dirt farmers.......

These people just suffer and the government only exacerpates their suffering by telling/ordering them to stop growing the only major crop they understand...........it's quite apparent, that water management here is managed by incompetents !

You did not read the article properly. Rain making efforts are succeeding. Stay tuned. Thy cup will runneth over shortly oh ye of little faith. Abra Cadabra

[elgordo38]

Isn't it wonderful when millionaire politicians can tell poor farmers to suck it up and be even poorer.

One might argue that it's the farmers own fault and that they should diversify into less water intensive crops.

But then one could counter argue that if the incompetent politicians did their jobs and actually helped the farmers (and Thai society in general) improve their lot instead of just lining their own pockets, then this problem wouldn't exist in the first place.

They could become politicians? Could not do worse than the present lot. Representation for the people by the people.

[MESmith]

Isn't it wonderful when millionaire politicians can tell poor farmers to suck it up and be even poorer.

One might argue that it's the farmers own fault and that they should diversify into less water intensive crops.

But then one could counter argue that if the incompetent politicians did their jobs and actually helped the farmers (and Thai society in general) improve their lot instead of just lining their own pockets, then this problem wouldn't exist in the first place.

They could become politicians? Could not do worse than the present lot. Representation for the people by the people.

Unfortunately, a university degree is required. Keep the downtrodden down....

[RubbaJohnny]

Looks like the Junta will have dip into their deep pockets to pay the farmers, NOT TO GROW rice. Rice subsidy in reverse.

As the Brits say

"Don't get into a paddy about this,someone will be sweating and meanwhile merchants will make cash out of the price fix, the water fix debt fix and so are whole peoples enslaved.

In a democratic society with no corruption assets could be better used with a long term perspective for the good of te nation,the ecology, and the workers.

Youth will leave the parched lands for meagre city service min wage jobs no wonder their masters don't want them represented

Edited October 15, 2015 by RubbaJohnny