January 5, 1999
Plagued by misery We Care: The dry season's unusually severe drought - plus plagues of hungry rice-eating pests - have destroyed harvests in the North, leaving hundreds of farming families with no crops to sell - and little food to eat Atiya Achakulwisut They come quietly, like little stars appearing in the evening sky. Just one or two at first, but within a short time there are millions of them, overwhelming the previously blank space. But unlike stars that twinkle at night and disappear by dawn, the plia kradod si namtarn (brown plant hoppers) chew on young rice seedlings. And they don't leave until they have devoured the whole rice field. "They appeared out of nowhere. At first, there weren't many of them. On the second and third day, however, the pests swarmed the rice field. They crowded on rice stems, turning the green leaves brown," said Rit Phuteng, village headman of Baan Chaem Noi, recalling the damage to his crop this year. The infected, brown leaves eventually wilt and die, he said. The destruction does not take a long time, just a couple of days. But the impact lasts longer. With little rice left to harvest, Mr Rit's family of five have nothing to sell to make a living this year. The store of last year's harvest will soon be empty - so too, perhaps will be their stomachs. Things are no different for the families of Mr Natu and Mr Paklae in Baan Chaem Noi, or the relatives of Mr I-phu-phor and Mr Watchara in nearby Baan Nong Daeng. News that the "rice was spoiled" echoes through every village in the Mae Chaem valley in Chiang Mai province. "I tried to fight the pests at first," Mr Rit said. "I bought the strongest pesticide on the market and sprayed it on the field. It didn't help at all. The day after I sprayed, there seemed to be even more pests. I don't have much money to waste. So I simply let them eat all they want." Unfortunately, the brown plant hoppers proved to be insatiable visitors. They left little, if anything at all, for their hosts. "Last year, I reaped 300 thang of paddy. This year, there is not a single grain to keep," Mr Rit said, adding it was hard enough growing rice with little water. As if the swarms of pests didn't make life difficult enough, this year's drought has been more severe than usual. According to the village headman, 31 out of 50 households in Baan Chaem Noi have lost almost all their rice to the pests this year. The rest have lost about 50 percent of their crop. Mr Rit said he has never seen such extensive crop damage in his life. Although the villagers' close-knit relationships mean those with a better harvest will share their rice with those who are less fortunate, there is not going to be enough to sustain the entire village. And what there is will not last long. When the time comes, some villagers will have to sell their cattle and go to Chiang Mai - a five-hour drive away - to buy more rice. However, there are many who have no livestock nor money to pay for their next meal. "No rice. Pests came and spoiled it. I was shocked and sad but could do nothing. I just had to watch them eat the crop," said 72-year-old Natu Plapho of Baan Chaem Noi. "I have no income. I have nothing to sell. I am too old to work. My children have to beg for food and money from other people now," the old man said, adding his children and grandchildren will have to find work in Chiang Mai to help the family survive. With only a month's worth of rice in store, Paklae Puthipraiwal, 62, is worried about his daughter's future. She is studying in a teacher's college in Chiang Mai. "We might be able to collect some plants and small animals to eat for a while. After that, however, I might have to ask my daughter to find a job to help us out," Mr Paklae said. Hathairat Phokasap, of the Northern Development Foundation, said rural communities in the north lost between 50 and 80 percent of their rice production to the brown plant hoppers this year. She said the damage will have far-reaching ramifications. "These communities are a key to forest conservation. For them, rice is life. Without rice, their way of life, which evolves in harmony with nature, disintegrates. Some may have to cut down trees to expand farmlands. Others may turn to chemical-intensive monoculture in the hope of raising money to buy rice," Ms Hathairat said. She added the migration of younger people into towns to find work will add to urban overcrowding, while severing the community's conservation efforts. The Northern Development Foundation is joining with a number of Northern non-governmental organisations to campaign for rice and money donations to help farmers whose crops have been destroyed by the brown plant hoppers this year. Village headman Mr Rit said he reported the damage to the district office and asked for assistance. The office, however, informed him so many communities in the northern region are suffering from the outbreak of pests that the district did not have enough resources to help. The district office gave away some free vegetable seeds, but without water the villagers in Mae Chaem can't grow them. "Quite a few villagers came to me to voice their predicament," Mr Rit said. "They asked what should they do? Their children and grandchildren have nothing to eat. I could only tell them to fight on. I told them to keep working. Time will pass and soon enough the rain will come. We will be able to sow new seeds," Mr Rit said, pinning his hopes and survival on the next crop. If the situation does not improve next year - if the villagers endure more severe drought and more pest infestations - they will be in deep trouble, Mr Rit said. Time goes by slowly for people who wait, and even more for those who wait with an empty stomach. For hundreds of villagers in Mae Jam district, a long season of scarcity, hunger and misery seems unavoidable. Info for donations: Name of organisation: The Forest Conservation Community Fund Address: 77/1 Moo 5, Tambon Suthep, Muang district, Chiang Mai province 50200 Tel/Fax: (053) 810623-4 E-mail: ndf13@chmai.loxinfo.co.th Account number: 279-256273-9 Bank: Thai Farmers Bank, Chang Phuak branch You can also send a money order or bankers draft payable to the Forest Conservation Community Fund, P.O. Box Chiang Mai University. If you cannot contact these organisations directly, you can send a cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Campaign for Rice) to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10100. Please include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt.		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