Mud cracks are an omnipresent scene in farming areas upcountry during the dry season. Every year around this month, Thai farmers suffer from a shortage of water which affects their output and the quality of their produce. The situation is worse than usual this year. Farmers are not only facing the worst drought in more than a decade, but also a slump in produce prices, especially for the sector's main sources of income — rice and rubber.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported that between October last year and March this year, drought has taken hold in 19 provinces, mostly rural areas, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people.
Drought has become an annual phenomenon due to the country's extreme weather cycle. Prolonged dry periods have had a particularly adverse effect on small-scale farmers who lack access to irrigation networks and instead rely on the highly unpredictable forces of nature.
The evidence of farmers’ inability to cope with unpredictable weather is lacklustre business activity upcountry. Plummeting rice and rubber prices dampen people’s purchasing power.
Although agricultural output is likely to be reduced by the drought, crop prices are unlikely to increase. The government’s outstanding stock of agricultural products such as rice has put downward pressure on prices.
The average price of all agricultural products in Thailand fell 6.2% last year, with total farm income down 5.3% on the previous year, according to the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board.
Regardless of the government’s measures to boost spending, the economy will not recover if economic issues plaguing farmers are not fixed.
Farming has been a major source of income for Thailand for decades, supported by our tropical climate and abundant water supply. Normally, rainfall during the wet season provides enough water for all people, including farmers, for the entire year.
However, in recent years dry seasons have become more severe. Water shortages are being reported in many areas, including the Central Plains where millions of farmers produce two annual rice crops.
The Agriculture Ministry estimates that from October last year, the damage from drought has shaved 0.23% off GDP. The figure may seem to be small, but decision-makers cannot be complacent.
The Irrigation Department has monitored the level of water in dams and reservoirs across the country since October, and found that they are now at their lowest level in 15 years. It is not possible to predict when this year's rainy season will begin to replenish those dwindling supplies.
The government has been trying to discourage farmers from planting second-crop rice, which is water intensive to grow. However, many farmers have ignored this advice, as they rely on revenue from the second crop to offset the low prices for their produce. Some have already planted their second crop, even though it remains uncertain whether they will have enough water to complete the harvest.
The Agriculture Ministry has warned that farmers along the Chao Phraya River face the risk of lacking enough water to nurture their farms until the harvest season in April.
Measures to help farmers have so far focused on short-term solutions. For instance, the government has given subsidies to farmers, or encouraged financial institutions to approve credit for millers to buy and store paddy to help shore up falling prices.
These measures will ease farmers’ pain in the short term, but will do little to cure the problems in the long run. Different agencies relating to farming and irrigation work separately, with no unified strategy to help farmers increase their productivity or decrease their reliance on nature.
Farmers should also be encouraged to take part in water management strategies in their communities to avoid the conflicts which tend to happen when a new dam or reservoir is built. They should also be equipped with other skills to enable them to turn to other professions during the dry season, while remaining in their home towns to create wealth for their communities instead of migrating to work odd jobs in the cities.
Proper agricultural infrastructure with a reliable water supply and irrigation system should be in place. Without effective long term solutions for water management, farmers will continue to face adversity during the dry season.