PHRAE, 29 October 2014 A severe drought has hit parts of Thailand though the rainy season has just ended, and the situation has caused troubles for farming areas in many provinces, especially in the northern region.
Phrae has been experiencing a decreasing rainfall causing low level of water in the Yom River. The director of the Yom Supply and Maintenance Project Chairit Thaisomboon has warned the amount of water in two key reservoirs have been lower than in 2013; therefore, the province will face a more severe water shortage.
According to Chairit, two medium-sized reservoirs in Phrae have adequate water only for cultivation of less water-consuming plants while the other now has only 30% of water in its tank and is insufficient to irrigate dry-season planting areas. The water users in the area have just agreed together to skip their off season planting.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered ministries involved to find measures in helping farmers from water shortages during the upcoming drought season. Earlier, the cabinet also gave a nod to a 40 billion baht fund to help farmers in dealing with rising costs of rice production and improving their techniques for higher quality of their produce.
