Ministries told to 'find solutions' as farmers ignore drought warnings

[rooster59]

Ministries told to 'find solutions' as farmers ignore drought warnings

BANGKOK: PRIME Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed three ministries to urgently find solutions to what is forecast to be the country's imminent drought crisis.

"The order was given to the Industry Ministry, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, and also the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry," Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Sansern said four major dams in the Chao Phraya River basin had just 4,157 million cubic metres of water in total. Most of this amount - about 3,500 million cubic metres - would be needed for consumption and maintaining the ecological system from now till July.

Sansern said the limited water supply could be affected if factories continued to release wastewater into public waterways and if farmers used water for paddy fields outside the rainy season.

"Drought is expected to be more serious than ever in the coming year," he warned.

Surasak Rangrongthanin, a senior official at Irrigation Office 10, said the Royal Irrigation Department had urged farmers to stop diverting water from irrigation canals to their paddy fields since November 1.

"But farmers have lambasted us. They say when such an order comes out, those who don't cooperate have always managed to earn money from their farmland," he said.

So, many farmers were now growing rice in their fields.

Naris Poonsap, kamnan of Tambon Bang Peung in Lop Buri's Ban Mi district, said farmers had started growing rice on about 1,000 rai (160 hectares) in total. "It's not possible to bar them from using water from canals," he said.

Farmers believe that if they do the right thing and stop working fields, others will not stop.

As a result, many of them have refused to respond to the government policy calling on them to consider taking other jobs during the dry season, which started on November 1.

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Ministries-told-to-find-solutions-as-farmers-ignor-30272478.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-08

[apetley]

It is not difficult to spot a paddy being prepared for a crop of rice. So enforce the order, simple as that. If there is such a desperate shortage of water start prosecuting those who are pumping from the canals for the next crop of rice. For whatever reason there seems a lack of will to actually do something other than saying 'don't do it'.

As for the last paragraph many of the rice farmers in our village are old, several in their sixties. Just what other jobs should they be taking?

[worgeordie]

The water shortage has been building for the last 2 years,and 2016

is going to be when there will be a very serious water shortage,and

the government is only now thinking of doing something,too late

The farmers are taking no notice of the governments warnings not

to grow rice,because they know if the crops fail through lack of water,

the government will give in and help them.

In the future ,wars will be fought over water,not oil,

regards Worgeordie

[Bluespunk]

"But farmers have lambasted us. They say when such an order comes out, those who don't cooperate have always managed to earn money from their farmland," he said."

Gaol those who don't 'co-operate'.

[NongKhaiKid]

The water shortage has been building for the last 2 years,and 2016

is going to be when there will be a very serious water shortage,and

the government is only now thinking of doing something,too late

The farmers are taking no notice of the governments warnings not

to grow rice,because they know if the crops fail through lack of water,

the government will give in and help them.

In the future ,wars will be fought over water,not oil,

regards Worgeordie

Many decades ago BBC TV show a multi-part series called ' Water ' and showed it had caused more wars than any other reason.

For personal safety I go with W.C. Fields who said " water, I never drink it, fish <deleted> in it. "

[GinBoy2]

It's quite easy for people to be sanctimonious when commenting on this, but consider this;

If you are a poor farmer sitting on the average farm of 4 hectares, with little education and little alternative employment opportunities what do you do? There is no unemployment insurance, so social safety net, so it's either plant and hope for the best or starve.

This has been a problem in the making for decades, regardless of water. Farming is a question of scale, nobody anywhere in the world in going to become a millionaire farming 4 hectares, but the elite class who have governed this country have all (regardless of color) been quite happy to ignore the poor, their education and future

Educate them and get give them employment opportunities to get them off the land and allow land consolidation to occur, which may have allowed farms to be of a sufficient size to do all those wonderful sound bites that many on here love to spout, 'crop diversification' 'leave the land fallow' etc etc

This current water crisis is just a symptom of the underlying crisis and division that bedevils this country

[shirtless]

Its not going to be fixed with only words , Prayut will be fine as the government pay his salary yes its easy to talk but this issue needs to be resolved and only action will resolve it,

[waldroj]

No one can deny that past governments failed to adequately address drought in Thailand.

However, the junta runs the show now (have done for 18 months). In this time they have done SFA about water conservation, significantly throughout this year (when plenty of alarm bells were ringing about the severity of the el Niño).

Only now, does Prayut seem to show any interest. So, it should come as no surprise that farmers refuse to play his game.

If, as we are being told, the situation is an imminent drought crisis, then why has the junta not introduced strict water restrictions across the affected river catchments (especially those supplying water to Bangkok).

Denying farmers water for their livelihood, while continuing to allow city dwellers and industry unrestricted use only rubs salt into (farmers) wounds.

[Siammodels]

Travelling to various continents and seeing innovative irrigation systems to cope with water shortages. I would say that Thailand is a major player in rice export for decades and certain people have become filthy rich on the less fortunate community.

The Thai governemnt could be focusing on building water storage and irrigation systems in major rural locations. To service the heart of Thailand and its people. Although this government seemd content spending millions on celeb appearances, to promote Thailand when there is extreme issues at hand.

This sums up the current climate.

[RKASA]

Telling a farmer with no other source of income (not that for many it is much to start with) not to plant is like saying - let them eat cake.

don't need more infrastructure - need submarines - infrastructure programs are all just about corruption and politics - submarines are about pride and face and Thailand need a lot more of that.

[robblok]

No one can deny that past governments failed to adequately address drought in Thailand.

However, the junta runs the show now (have done for 18 months). In this time they have done SFA about water conservation, significantly throughout this year (when plenty of alarm bells were ringing about the severity of the el Niño).

Only now, does Prayut seem to show any interest. So, it should come as no surprise that farmers refuse to play his game.

If, as we are being told, the situation is an imminent drought crisis, then why has the junta not introduced strict water restrictions across the affected river catchments (especially those supplying water to Bangkok).

Denying farmers water for their livelihood, while continuing to allow city dwellers and industry unrestricted use only rubs salt into (farmers) wounds.

You should see the difference in water use between 1 city dweller and 1 farmer doing rice farming. [

On average, the world’s rice fields use some 1,400 liters of water by evaporation and transpiration to produce 1 kilogram of paddy rice—which is on the same order of magnitude as what wheat uses (see Rice Today, Vol. 8 (1), p 28-29).

That is many times more as what a normal city dweller uses. So the farmers as usual are stealing from normal (and often also poor) city dwellers. The water machines wont work with salty water in BKK and the poor who use them will be forced to buy water costing them up to 10x more as the water machines.

If you think this was the first warming the government gave over water management then you must have been sleeping this has been going on for months now. If anyone is to blame its El Nino and the previous governments who let out too much water from the dams and of course the rice scheme that encouraged even more water usage on rice and at 1.400 liters of water per KG that adds up too.

Farmers should be forced and the army should be deployed to police them, at the same time compensation should be given (just this time). Farmers should switch crops in future (too late now so compensation, later give them money to diversify) make sure farmers are not always waiting for handout.

Edited November 8, 2015 by robblok

[Hawk]

As a result, many of them have refused to respond to the government policy calling on them to consider taking other jobs during the dry season, which started on November 1...

Other jobs? Such as what? Cops, bank managers, prime ministers, bandits, forgers etc?

[scorecard]

Its not going to be fixed with only words , Prayut will be fine as the government pay his salary yes its easy to talk but this issue needs to be resolved and only action will resolve it,

Ohh yes of course the good general is totally to blame.

You conventionality ignore the fact that all (repeat all) past governments have been derelict in not addressing both the serious flood and the serious drought problems.

Just one example: the previous government, which had no specific policies about anything (repeat anything) had some 12 years to develop and start to implement remedial actions, but they did nothing at all. Characterized by their main man plod who said a couple of times that poor / disenfranchised people are rubbish.

Ironically when the big flood struck hundreds of thousand of relief packages paid for from tax payers funds, many distributed to farmers somehow had stickers saying thaksin loves you.

[Hawk]

To the mods: cannot sign in from another computer, cannot edit, cannot access info from the small button on right handside of the page(looks like a square), no way to message you anymore other than posting here.

[scorecard]

As a result, many of them have refused to respond to the government policy calling on them to consider taking other jobs during the dry season, which started on November 1...

Other jobs? Such as what? Cops, bank managers, prime ministers, bandits, forgers etc?

Do your research, there have been several press reports explaining the wide variety of jobs available in this initiative.

You mention: cops, bank managers ....... Just shows your out to exploit these folks to make a negative out of a serious situation.

In reality, sadly many of the folks affected don't have the education or experience to take up more sophisticated jobs, the scheme quickly generated funds for local civil works, also meaning they don't have to necessarily leave home.

[multatuli]

Nobody in thailand ever heard of dry rice? Developed at the university of arkansas and successfully adopted in many countries..

[multatuli]

The correct name is "mighty rice"

[chainarong]

What you have here is the old fashion finger job at the Thai military , of course the farmers will ignore the warnings , mainly because it is their income the Junta so conveniently want to destroy , the question is who is responsible for the water crisis , it certainly isn't the farmers , it certainly isn't the people , it is the successive Thai administration's derelict of duty to ensure that supplies of water are adequate for all , the Junta now has to find ways and means to recover from this embarrassing stand off and the best way to do that is immediately get the water situation under control even if that means fast tracking projects ( Thai's are good at this ) and cancelling H/S trains projects of course you could offer compensation for the second crop, just a thought.....................

[EnglishJohn]

Travelling to various continents and seeing innovative irrigation systems to cope with water shortages. I would say that Thailand is a major player in rice export for decades and certain people have become filthy rich on the less fortunate community.

The Thai governemnt could be focusing on building water storage and irrigation systems in major rural locations. To service the heart of Thailand and its people. Although this government seemd content spending millions on celeb appearances, to promote Thailand when there is extreme issues at hand.

This sums up the current climate.

Because the last lot were much better right ?. If they cared so much, why didn't they do something to see those farmers got their money instead of stealing 500 out of 600 billion for themselves and their cronies ?.

And when the opposite happened and Ayuttaya was going under water, the charity group I was helping made a call to Pheu-Thai and asked for trucks to take donations of food to help.

The reply was "We are all busy with the football match in Cambodia : call again next week".

And do you think the tourism department (and all others) should close down and the entire government move to the 'drought management' department ?.

And you do realise those millions spent promoting Thailand is supposed to bring many more millions back in tourism right ?.

And you do realise the ones who have become filthy rich on those poor rice farmers are the Pheu-Thai politicians, the millers, the warehouse owners and all the others skimming a bit down the line before the farmer got a little bit. They are red-shirts like yourself - the ones who keep telling you the 'Bangkok Elite' are stealing it.

[shirtless]

Its not going to be fixed with only words , Prayut will be fine as the government pay his salary yes its easy to talk but this issue needs to be resolved and only action will resolve it,

Ohh yes of course the good general is totally to blame.

You conventionality ignore the fact that all (repeat all) past governments have been derelict in not addressing both the serious flood and the serious drought problems.

Just one example: the previous government, which had no specific policies about anything (repeat anything) had some 12 years to develop and start to implement remedial actions, but they did nothing at all. Characterized by their main man plod who said a couple of times that poor / disenfranchised people are rubbish.

Ironically when the big flood struck hundreds of thousand of relief packages paid for from tax payers funds, many distributed to farmers somehow had stickers saying thaksin loves you.

The good General knew there was a water problem and would be well aware of the ramifications , yet really did nothing to resolve it.

[Usual Suspect]

My wife's family own land in Issan..we have plots of land dotted around the village area, almost every year our crops could do better if they'd had enough water. Why did the field not get enough water?...because each of the fields has a big land-owner nearby that's irrigating his sugar-cane 24/7, has dammed the klong upstream to save precious water for himself, & generally speaking feels free to do what the hell they want to make money for themselves while others suffer.

Yes the small farmers have to sit back & accept this pecking-order due to low-level threats/bullying by these land-owners.

The area could sustain more irragation klongs/channels, but no water would reach them due to these bigger farmers & their mini-dams, so again the humble small Thai farmer will stay on the bread-line... TiT.

[ratcatcher]

Edited November 8, 2015 by ratcatcher

[JAG]

"But farmers have lambasted us. They say when such an order comes out, those who don't cooperate have always managed to earn money from their farmland," he said."

Gaol those who don't 'co-operate'.

You will end up jailing an awful lot of people, essentially for being poor!

Should do wonders for" reconciliation".

I don't have a solution to hand, but I'm pretty sure banging up the males in farming villages isn't it.

[scorecard]

What you have here is the old fashion finger job at the Thai military , of course the farmers will ignore the warnings , mainly because it is their income the Junta so conveniently want to destroy , the question is who is responsible for the water crisis , it certainly isn't the farmers , it certainly isn't the people , it is the successive Thai administration's derelict of duty to ensure that supplies of water are adequate for all , the Junta now has to find ways and means to recover from this embarrassing stand off and the best way to do that is immediately get the water situation under control even if that means fast tracking projects ( Thai's are good at this ) and cancelling H/S trains projects of course you could offer compensation for the second crop, just a thought.....................

"...of course the farmers will ignore the warnings , mainly because it is their income the Junta so conveniently want to destroy ..."

How's that? Please share.

[jvs]

You can blame nobody for the shortage of water,it is nature who is taking care of that.

Who are you going to blame for farmers(fishermen, people stealing land etc) for not listening to the government?

Yes, the government themselves for allowing the mai pen rai attitude and the ability to pay your way out of trouble.

It is the lack of law enforcement(turning a blind eye) and if you look around you can see it every where,it has seemed to work for some but it looks like the tide is turning.

There has to be a big change in attitude both from government and the general population but i doubt that will bring back happiness to the people.

The result will be a more controlled country but it will be a very long time before Thailand will be a so called nanny state.

[scorecard]

My wife's family own land in Issan..we have plots of land dotted around the village area, almost every year our crops could do better if they'd had enough water. Why did the field not get enough water?...because each of the fields has a big land-owner nearby that's irrigating his sugar-cane 24/7, has dammed the klong upstream to save precious water for himself, & generally speaking feels free to do what the hell they want to make money for themselves while others suffer.

Yes the small farmers have to sit back & accept this pecking-order due to low-level threats/bullying by these land-owners.

The area could sustain more irragation klongs/channels, but no water would reach them due to these bigger farmers & their mini-dams, so again the humble small Thai farmer will stay on the bread-line... TiT.

And IMHO herein lies much of the problem. The poor farmers, the poor generally, have for decades seen the rich and powerful and the hi-so folks blatantly ignoring the law, and paying where needed to get court results in their favor.

So can anybody blame the poor farmers etc., for refusing to abide by the law?

[DrTuner]

They should stay in line, ie. sod the peasants, post soldiers with M-16's at the fields. Why bother delaying the inevitable.

[lewy67]

As a result, many of them have refused to respond to the government policy calling on them to consider taking other jobs during the dry season, which started on November 1...

Other jobs? Such as what? Cops, bank managers, prime ministers, bandits, forgers etc?

Do your research, there have been several press reports explaining the wide variety of jobs available in this initiative.

You mention: cops, bank managers ....... Just shows your out to exploit these folks to make a negative out of a serious situation.

In reality, sadly many of the folks affected don't have the education or experience to take up more sophisticated jobs, the scheme quickly generated funds for local civil works, also meaning they don't have to necessarily leave home.

Plenty of jobs on the fishing boats now that Prayuth has freed all the slaves and the EU are enforcing occupational health and safety standards.

[sawadee1947]

it's easy as that...give compensation !!!! As always.... to Rice farmers, rubber farmers, fish industry, maybe new to farangs....

[eliotness]

The water shortage has been building for the last 2 years,and 2016

is going to be when there will be a very serious water shortage,and

the government is only now thinking of doing something,too late

The farmers are taking no notice of the governments warnings not

to grow rice,because they know if the crops fail through lack of water,

the government will give in and help them.

In the future ,wars will be fought over water,not oil,

regards Worgeordie

There is a news report saying that this is the worst drought in 10 years. If that is correct your "last 2 years" is misleading because it seems Thailand has had a water management problem for decades and every type of government there has been have failed totally to address the problem.