Drought in Thai North, Northeast affects locals, farm produce

BANGKOK, March 19 (TNA) - Prevailing drought in the Thai North and Northeast is affecting local villagers and damaging farm products, causing price increases. In Tak province, where the highest temperature was latest recorded at 37.9 degrees Celsius, rose farmers in Phop Phra district are among those being mostly affected. Paradorn Karnda, vice chairman of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, told reporters on Tuesday that the hot and dry weather is affecting the quality and growth of roses, bringing diseases and pests and raising production costs, as the farmers have had to install sprinklers and apply more fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals, but the yields of roses have dropped by half. In Chiang Rai province, drought is raising the fresh vegetables prices, including those of long bean, tomato, lime, cabbage, Chinese kale and hot chili, with a small lime now priced 7 baht each instead of 2 baht, long bean at 70 baht instead of 35 baht per kilogram and hot chili at 170 baht instead of 90 baht per kilogram; while the prices of organic vegetables have risen by 30 per cent. In Uttaradit province, Kiattiphan Rangsrisakorn, head of the Ta Pla Subdistrict Administrative Organisation acknowledged that his province's drought situation remains severe, as only around 3 million cubic metres of water has now flown into the Sirikit Dam, enabling local households to use merely 20 per cent of the stored water, which is the lowest level in 36 years, and that the lowering water level has affected daily ways of life of locals who live on raft-houses and earn their incomes by using them to tour the Sirikit dam. The local authority foresaw that local tourism during the upcoming Songkran Festival should be considerably affected. In Maha Sarakham province, local authorities are urgently assisting drought victims, including drilling for underground water sources and delivering water supply to affected households some 15 million litres so far, but it appears to be insufficient amid the deteriorating drought. (TNA)