Agriculture Ministry says drought to ease in 2-3 months

Agriculture Ministry says drought to ease in 2-3 months

A motorcycle taxi and passenger brave the heavy rain in Bangkok on Thursday. The onset of the rainy season should alleviate the country’s drought situation within a few months, the Agriculture Ministry said. (EPA photo)
A motorcycle taxi and passenger brave the heavy rain in Bangkok on Thursday. The onset of the rainy season should alleviate the country’s drought situation within a few months, the Agriculture Ministry said. (EPA photo)

The Agriculture Ministry signalled on Thursday that the water crisis could abate in a few months as supplies in the nation’s dams are sufficient to hold out until seasonal rains begin in April or May.

Dams that supply the Central Plains hold about 68 million cubic metres of water, less than half the volume of a year ago and well below the normal level of 283.2 million cu/m, Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, the agriculture permanent secretary, said at a seminar in Bangkok. That's enough to last until the end of July, he said.

While the government has said the deficit won't affect industrial users and has ruled out shortages of tap water for consumption, many rice farmers won't be able to irrigate their crops until the wet season starts in May, according to Mr Theerapat. The Central Plains are a key growing area for the country's secondary rice crop.

The government has encouraged rice farmers to switch to crops that need less water and provided them with funds to help offset production costs. It has also formulated a 10-year management plan that calls for the construction of more reservoirs and improvements to the national irrigation system.

Industrial estates in Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Rayong and Chon Buri aren't likely to face water shortages, Bowon Vongsinudom, vice chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, said at the seminar.

The drought has damaged 2.86 million rai of land, mostly rice plantations, since October, according to ministry data. Almost 273,000 farmers have been affected, mostly in the country's northeast.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)