BANGKOK, 24th July 2019 (NNT) – Department of Agriculture Extension Director General Samran Saraban said the agency has ordered its provincial and district branch offices to take measures to cope with lack of water and drought-related damage.
Those measures call for close monitoring of the water and drought situation in the affected areas and create understanding with the farmers about the water situation. The measures call for the provincial and district branch offices of the department to conduct survey on farmland affected by drought and set up the war room at provincial level to closely follow the situation.
Besides, the provincial and district branch offices will map out measures to assist the affected farmers and coordinate with related agencies in the management of water for agriculture through the Committee for the Steering of Important Policies. The provincial and district branch offices will map out plans for the growing of suitable crops in the affected farmland. The branch offices will give advice to the farmers about how to protect their crops during dry season or in the face of drought. The farmers will be suggested to grow short-lived crops which consume little amount of water instead of rice in August and September.
New farmers are suggested to urgently register with the Department of Agriculture Extension at its branch offices or at the Agricultural Learning Center or other provided units. Those who have earlier registered can update data by themselves via Application Farmbook.
The compilation of data on the farmland and water situation via Agriculture Information System was yesterday submitted to the Department of Agriculture Extension. The data will be updated every Tuesday. After a provincial governor has declared a disaster relief zone, the provincial or district branch office of the department is to promptly manage to provide assistance in accordance with the Ministry of Finance’s regulations for expenditure for disaster victims. The period of time for the emergency assistance is to be finished within a 15-days time under the regulations for the assistance for the affected farmers who have registered with the department before a disaster occurs. The assistance measures will cover a maximum of 30 rai of farmland and a maximum of 1,113 baht in grant aid for rice and 1,148 baht to 1,690 baht in grant aid for other farm crops.
