Special weather forecast models to be soon developed in Thailand

BANGKOK, February 20 (TNA) - Thailand's Meteorological Department and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives have agreed to work together to support the domestic farm sector through three newly-developed special innovative weather forecast models. The agreement has been reached and announced by Dares Kittiyopas, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Phuwieng Prakhammintara, Director-General of the Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. Based on the agreement, the three special models to be jointly carried out by the Thai government's two agencies include a forecast model to be reported in advance about seven days whenever it is likely that the weather in specific areas in the country should be stagnant and farmers should refrain from outdoor burning in order to prevent the problem of haze and hazardous dust or the particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers in diameter per cubic meter (PM2.5) for the sake of the good health of people in the areas. For the two other models are a forecast model to be reported in targeted areas in advance for a certain period of time whenever it is likely that there could be pest outbreaks in the specific areas and the other model to be reported for local farm areas in advance about 120 days whenever it is likely that the weather in the targeted areas are suitable for locals' farming or harvesting of their crops or plantations. The last two models are aimed mainly to help reduce damage risks for local farmers or crop growers and to support and facilitate their precision farming management, covering the suitable periods for start growing their crops, for applying fertilizers and for harvesting. All the three special weather forecast models will pave the way for targeted areas in Thailand to become "smart farming zones" in the future. Under the agreement, the Department of Agricultural Extension will provide data for the Meteorological Department for its timely forecast and reports, expected to be started within two weeks. Besides, the Thai government's two agencies will jointly conduct assessment reports on the effectiveness of the three new special innovative weather forecast models, aimed to keep improving the models towards the achievement of the most productivity and efficiency in the Thai farm sector in the foreseeable future. (TNA)