Drought-stricken Chonburi farmers are finding new ways to make money after being told they can’t grow rice.
Prachaya Unpetchworakorn, mayor of Koh Chan sub-district, and Samart Cheunwongsa, director of the Chonburi Agricultural Office, were welcomed Feb. 4 by Kongrith Boontham, village chief for Tha Boonme, who showed them how former rice farmers are now growing mung beans with success.
Prachaya said Chonburi has about 1.1 million rai of farmland and the province has requested a 12-million-baht budget for 27 non-rice agricultural-demonstration projects, and three non-farming projects to generate income for drought-hit farmers.
Chai yo! Drought-stricken Chonburi farmers are finding new ways to make money by cultivating vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, yam or corn instead of heavily water dependent rice.
Kongrith, who also heads the Baan Nong Nu Lerm farmers group, said that due to persistent drought, the government forbade farmers from planting a second rice crop. Instead, growers were encouraged to cultivate vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, yam or corn.
He said mung beans were proving to be a good crop as they have a short growing cycle, use less water than other crops, can be planted immediately before or after another crop, prevent growth of weeds, and can be used as a natural fertilizer.
The beans also ideally prepare the soil for a rice crop immediately after the beans are harvested.
