Water shortage delays rice planting in Thailand
Friday, 16 July 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Commodity Online): World leader in rice exports, Thailand said acute water shortages in the country forced it to delay planting of the 2010-11 main rice crop by one month.
Country's Agriculture Ministry asked farmers to delay planting until the end of next month as water levels in the country's major dams remain critically low.
The ministry will announce the postponement officially and send officials to inform the farmers as well as monitor the climate.
The ministry previously suggested that the cultivation of the grain, especially in irrigated areas such as the Central Plains and the lower North, begin sometime in mid-July.
But it revised the decision this week as the impacts of this year's drought are still keenly felt due to deficient rainfall and the rapid decrease of water in many reservoirs across the country.
Thailand's planting of the main crop paddy, which accounts for about 23-24 million tones of total paddy volume, depends largely on rainfall and the irrigation system.
Water levels in major and medium-sized dams have been low, at 13 per cent of their capacities or 9,265 million cubic metres of usable water in total.
The planting-delay advisory is the second in a row after the ministry earlier warned the farmers to skip growing second rice crops since there would not be enough water to irrigate their farmlands.
Country's Agriculture Ministry asked farmers to delay planting until the end of next month as water levels in the country's major dams remain critically low.
The ministry will announce the postponement officially and send officials to inform the farmers as well as monitor the climate.
The ministry previously suggested that the cultivation of the grain, especially in irrigated areas such as the Central Plains and the lower North, begin sometime in mid-July.
But it revised the decision this week as the impacts of this year's drought are still keenly felt due to deficient rainfall and the rapid decrease of water in many reservoirs across the country.
Thailand's planting of the main crop paddy, which accounts for about 23-24 million tones of total paddy volume, depends largely on rainfall and the irrigation system.
Water levels in major and medium-sized dams have been low, at 13 per cent of their capacities or 9,265 million cubic metres of usable water in total.
The planting-delay advisory is the second in a row after the ministry earlier warned the farmers to skip growing second rice crops since there would not be enough water to irrigate their farmlands.