BANGKOK 6 October, 2011 – Devastating floods have prompted the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to focus on farmers’ ability to better cope with natural disaster as its post-flood resolution.
According to Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Pornsak Charoenprasert, the Ministry’s goal is to help farmers boost their incomes and reduce their expenses. The Ministry has assigned relevant agencies to help affected farmers relieve their financial burdens and restore their property.
The Cooperative Promotion Department will suspend debt repayment for members for three years.
The Land Development Department will provide affected farmers with organic fertilizer and will also wean them from chemical fertilizer as the short-term solution. As for the long-term solution, more canals will be dug, using the royal Monkey Cheek model to divert water from farming areas and villages during the monsoon season and to store water during the dry season.
The Agriculture Department will distribute seeds to the farmers and will also develop crops to make them resistant to floods, pests and epidemics.
Around 8.5 million rai of farm land has been under water, costing 4.5 tons of rice paddy. The damage has been estimated at 6.5 billion THB.
