BANGKOK, 25 October 2014 – The Irrigation Department has indicated it will soon stop discharging water for agriculture through many of its irrigation canals, in accordance with the government policy which requests that farmers refrain from growing off-season rice.
In Buriram, the water quantity at several reservoirs is at critical level; the reservoirs have seen little rainfall recently. Lam Nang Rong Dam, the province’s largest reservoir, is holding just 76 million cubic meters or just 63 percent of its capacity. Because there will likely not be enough water to feed the local irrigation system, officials from Lam Nang Rong Dam have asked farmers to reduce the cultivation area for off-season rice to 10,000 rai, from the previous season’s 24,000 rai.
The Irrigation Department has announced it will cease irrigation water discharge on October 31 for many of its irrigation networks, such as the Nam Un irrigation project in Sakon Nakhon and the Mano Rom irrigation project in Chainat.
