Rice farming has been a deep and irrefutable part of Wichet Petchsanwan's life since the day he was born. It's in his blood and it's unthinkable that a season can pass without planting a crop.
Rice farmer Wichet Petchsanwan from Saphan Sung district is not letting warnings of drought get him down as he switches from rice to growing melons. Photos by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin
When the drought warning for next year was issued, and farmers were told not to grow multiple crops, he reached a pivotal moment in his life.
"We had no idea how we would earn a living when told a water shortage meant insufficient supplies for multiple-crop farmers next year," said Mr Wichet, who owns a five-rai plot in Bangkok's Saphan Sung district.
Fortunately, there was light at the end of the tunnel after he attended a course on "alternative crops during drought" arranged by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in February.
The programme was aimed at farmers who come within the city's ambit.
After years of unpredictable weather, Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra has sought ways for farmers to deal with water shortages — and eventually came up with the project.
The Social Development Department was assigned to provide training to farmers in the drought-prone areas. A pilot project has been carried out in the east zone of the city where the largest farming areas are.
Jaroon Meethanataworn, the department's deputy director, said rice farming requires huge volumes of water. So it was necessary for City Hall to encourage farmers to grow other crops that need less water. The succulent cantaloupe was one alternative for the multiple-crop programme.
Mr Jaroon said classes on how to grow cantaloupe were held in March. A team of 60 agricultural officials was set up to pass on knowledge to farmers from each district who registered for the pilot project.
Sponsored by the department, the farmers provide raw materials to grow melons including seeds, manure, wood for fences and containers for growing shoots.
Mr Wichet, who was chosen by Saphan Sung district to attend the course, said it was worthwhile. Melon not only requires less water, it needs less space to grow and there is a shorter time period to the harvest.
After the training, he decided to allocate a plot of 40sqm in front of his house to grow melon. Fencing was also erected to give support to the plant's vines when they bloom.
"Such a small plot is more than enough to grow 300 melon trees," he said.
The process begins with planting seeds in containers and keeping them indoors for 10 days. Then the seedlings are removed from the containers and planted outdoors. Preparing the soil is an important step. Healthy soil that helps nurture the plantation should include equal proportions of chopped, dried coconut shell; ready-mixed soil; and good-quality manure.
Agriculture official Pitak Wongharn, who supervises the project, said melons can be improved and developed to suit a particular environment. For example, winter melons can be developed to grow in a hot climate.
The melon seeds given to farmers, he said, were carefully cultivated to be grown best in hot weather like Bangkok's.
Melon doesn't grow well in clay that usually retains water. It demands loose soil and sand as well as manure that contributes to a good yield. The best part is the fruit takes up very little space and is supported by fencing when the vines start growing.
Another advantage of the fruit plantation, Mr Pitak said, is the productive yield in a much shorter period.
There has been increased demand for melons, meaning farmers can get good prices when selling them.
However, Mr Pitak said, melons require special attention during the seedling stage when they are sensitive to bugs, pests and fungal and bacterial diseases.
When seedlings bear leaves, he added, gardeners may also need to keep pinching out the growing ends to make sure they are well nurtured. During blooming, they also need to ensure that vines are well supported by a fence.
Extra care and attention to detail often puts Thai farmers off melon growing, Mr Pitak noted.
"Many farmers are unlikely to grow plants that need special attention," he said.
Unlike rice, melons need only daily watering and it takes only 70 days to harvest the fruit, said Mr Wichet.
Since he began growing melon in February, he has harvested three crops.
Each melon tree generates one melon weighing about 2kg, and the yields have been 80% to 90% on average.
With an investment of only 5,000 baht for materials, he has earned about 25,000 baht from each crop.
Mr Wichet said one rai (equivalent to 1,600sqm) of rice farm would generate an income of about 7,000 to 8,000 baht, or 10,000 baht maximum. And he has to wait 120 days before he can harvest a rice crop.
"Roughly speaking, melon gives me a better return on investment, both in terms of value and effort," Mr Wichet said.
After realising a handsome return from the fruit, Mr Wichet plans to expand his plantation next year.
He will also pay greater attention to detail in terms of manure and organic ways to get rid of pests and bugs.
"Growing melon will be rewarding for us if there's a drought next year. It will help generate more income for us. This sweet, refreshing fruit can also be New Year's gift for everyone," he said.
Started in February, the 'alternate crop during the drought' programme requires less land area and less water.
