Authorities have again urged farmers in 22 Central Plains provinces in the Chao Phraya River basin not to plant a second rice crop because of a lack of water for agricultural purposes.
Pitipong: Water levels still too low
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya said yesterday at a press conference that even though rain has continued to fall in the region, the quantity remains insufficient for agriculture.
Farmers who are planning to start a second rice crop in November should avoid doing so, Mr Pitipong said.
He suggested they should choose other crops that require less water.
"We estimate there will be a total of 5.4 billion cubic metres of water in the four main dams at the end of October," he said.
"Such levels of water may be enough to last until next April but only for daily consumption and ecological preservation, not for rice planting. They should start to plant rice in the rainy season next year." He said the ministry expected that if farmers abide by his suggestion to grow crops to feed to animals, there will be a total of 1.45 million rai of land in the river basin to be used for this purpose.
Mr Pitipong said crops suitable for animal feed are maize, green beans, soy and other vegetables.
He said the ministry will find markets and mill feed companies for farmers to sell their products at reasonable prices.
Royal Irrigation Department director-general Lertviroj Kowattana said the department estimated that there would be between 3.9 and 5.4 billion cu/m of water this year at the four major dams — Bhumibhol in Tak province, Sirikit in Uttaradit, Kaew Noi Bamrungdan in Phitsanulok and Pasak Jolasid in Lop Buri.
Mr Lertviroj said the water level this year is lower than last year at 10 billion cu/m of water in the four dams.
He said rainfall is 19% lower than the average which brings the amount of water flowing into the four dams to 1.3 billion cu/m from May to August, compared with 2.1 billion cu/m of water last year.
On average, the inflow was only 14 million cu/m per day this year, compared with an average of 35 million cu/m per day last year.
Mr Lertviroj said the department plans to reduce the amount of water to be discharged from the four dams by the middle of this month to save more water for next year. Currently, 18 million cu/m is being discharged a day.
The Central Plains provinces, which are the country’s main rice plantation area for exports, can produce around nine million tonnes of rice per harvest. The latest survey showed that 14,380 rai of paddy fields were damaged by drought.