Bangkok – Agricultural provinces across Thailand are preparing as best they can for the upcoming dry season while there have also been reports of farmers planting off-season rice despite drought warnings.
Ignoring the government’s warnings, producers in Uthai Thani and Nakhon Sawan provinces are using water from Tak Daet River to grow rice on more than 10,000 rai of land, causing the water level to drop instantly as sand dunes and rocks are now visible in certain parts of the river. According to local authorities, off-season rice farming will affect the planting of other crops in nearby areas.
Both provinces have issued further warnings against rice farming during this period or before the next rainy season.
Meanwhile in Lamphun province, Li District Office in cooperation with the Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and other related agencies held a fire and smoke prevention training course last week. Trainees came from the northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son, and Tak.
To prevent fire and smoke pollution, all burning activities are prohibited in risk-prone areas and hotspots of the region.
