I can't imagine anyone is planting any water hungry crops this week. Farmers obviously already know there is a drought and this is not the time of year to plant.

Agree.

This advice from "on high" is condescending.

Thai only watch simple tvprograms like soapseries or comedians, if it doesn't have all the added boingboing sounds they won't watch it.

There's plenty of other crops they grow around the world in similar dry climates. You can see it on tv/internet.

Whilst I agree with you that there are other crops grown around the world in dry climates that doesn't mean that there is a market for them in Thailand.

Just because you see it on the TV/Internet usually means you see the successes and NOT the failures that it took to get that far.

Before you grow a crop of anything the very first thing you need to establish is if there is a market for it, what price you would get for the product when you sell it and how much it will cost to grow it.

By that point you should have a fair idea if you can make a profit and how much. If it is none or just a little then don't bother.

To me that is a fairly simple exercise to do, but to a poorly educated (not his fault) Issan farmer up to his ears in debt already it probably won't be that easy.

Not so long ago Thailand was No.1 for growing rice & exporting it..how quickly over the space of 3-5 yrs this great rice-yeilding nation now holds about 4th/5th place in the export ranking..(no thanks to poor storage & sales of rotten commodities)..But now, instead of encouraging better yeilds, introducing new varieties of rice that are tailored to drought conditions (such as what has taken place in Vietnam & Cambodia over the last few yrs), & implementing a proper system for the distribution of rainwater (in the form of piped supply from the west to eastern regions for instance). Introducing 'workshops' to show farmers in drought-stricken areas how to maximise their water-usage, & generally get the rice-farmers here back to growing & producing, & earning again.

But oh no..the farmers here are now 'urged' to grow new crops..as if now rice-growing has been rendered useless, let's turn the page.

These 1000's of farmers CAN grow rice..they need some help though!

So a farmer goes to the bank and says. I want to help Thailand by being self sufficient and change my cultivation and production methods. I am only 160,000 Baht in debt (the average I believe) I want to grow black-eyed peas and millet (whatever they may be). How much will you lend me?

Not so long ago Thailand was No.1 for growing rice & exporting it..how quickly over the space of 3-5 yrs this great rice-yeilding nation now holds about 4th/5th place in the export ranking..(no thanks to poor storage & sales of rotten commodities)..But now, instead of encouraging better yeilds, introducing new varieties of rice that are tailored to drought conditions (such as what has taken place in Vietnam & Cambodia over the last few yrs), & implementing a proper system for the distribution of rainwater (in the form of piped supply from the west to eastern regions for instance). Introducing 'workshops' to show farmers in drought-stricken areas how to maximise their water-usage, & generally get the rice-farmers here back to growing & producing, & earning again.

But oh no..the farmers here are now 'urged' to grow new crops..as if now rice-growing has been rendered useless, let's turn the page.

These 1000's of farmers CAN grow rice..they need some help though!

They need water which is not around, simple.

And they should have made big profit when the government paid them the inflated price, so there's no need for big debts unless they bought a too big car or so.

They can create a market for a new product, if it's a matter of a new crop or nothing at all there is no choice.

Beans for example can be canned and sold. Can also be sold as dry beans.

But if they only want to grow rice then good luck with it, just wait untill the water is back.

Water Management is naturally a key. As above I see little of that going on where rainwater storage and distribution are concerned; little drip irrigation; how much interplanting of soy and rice? Soil conservation? No! Burn it! There must be here or have been a tradition of "Dry Land Farming". Even without new crops there are plenty of foods grown here that have drought resistant varieties. But I am sure Prayuth knows all that. I fear the answer is: Thais don't do it that way.

Not so long ago Thailand was No.1 for growing rice & exporting it..how quickly over the space of 3-5 yrs this great rice-yeilding nation now holds about 4th/5th place in the export ranking..(no thanks to poor storage & sales of rotten commodities)..But now, instead of encouraging better yeilds, introducing new varieties of rice that are tailored to drought conditions (such as what has taken place in Vietnam & Cambodia over the last few yrs), & implementing a proper system for the distribution of rainwater (in the form of piped supply from the west to eastern regions for instance). Introducing 'workshops' to show farmers in drought-stricken areas how to maximise their water-usage, & generally get the rice-farmers here back to growing & producing, & earning again.

But oh no..the farmers here are now 'urged' to grow new crops..as if now rice-growing has been rendered useless, let's turn the page.

These 1000's of farmers CAN grow rice, it's what they do best..but now they may need some help!

Cant the "News" section just be turned off......its a total crock of <deleted>........day in day out, it gets more laughable.....in a sad kinda way.

I can't imagine anyone is planting any water hungry crops this week. Farmers obviously already know there is a drought and this is not the time of year to plant.

Agree.

This advice from "on high" is condescending.

you gotta be kidding?? by me just planted "Bananas" they need loadsa water, also newly planted rice.......all this in Thailand driest province , Prachuap.

Cactus or yukka plants? Maybe camal farming?

Edited March 27, 201610 yr by MaiChai

Date-palms & camel-herding, perhaps ?

Water Management is naturally a key. As above I see little of that going on where rainwater storage and distribution are concerned; little drip irrigation; how much interplanting of soy and rice? Soil conservation? No! Burn it! There must be here or have been a tradition of "Dry Land Farming". Even without new crops there are plenty of foods grown here that have drought resistant varieties. But I am sure Prayuth knows all that. I fear the answer is: Thais don't do it that way.

Over here in rural Khampaeng Phet there are new water storage facilities dug out, the klongs are being dredged out.

The 2 main crops here are tapioca (man saparang) and sugar cane. Rice is grown where the land is flatter and the is usually water, but there is precious little of that lately.

Little drip irrigation costs money which is in short supply for farmers for some odd reason, inter-planting isn't normally seen out here.

Drought resistant varieties of plants are relatively new and cost money. To replant man saparang they just chop the stalks from the previous crop to about a foot long, plant and fertilise them and off they go again. Free replacements.