Government Approves 1.6 Billion Baht Relief Fund For Farmers Hit By Floods

Thailand has approved a 1.6 billion baht relief programme for farmers hit by flooding in the north and north eastern regions of the country.

The floods brought chaos to the nation, resulting in 29 deaths and large areas of farmland being damaged across 36 of the country's provinces.

Untold destruction of property and loss of income to a variety of businesses are also a major problem.

But it was Thailand's rice farmers who took the biggest hit during the storms and subsequent flooding. Thailand is the world's second largest exporter of rice and the government believe the floods could have a severe impact on rice production.

Over 560,000 farming households will benefit from the relief fund.

In 2014, the government proposed a 10 year water management programme to avoid any repetition of the 2011 disaster, which saw 900 people losing their lives, and the nation's industry faced dire consequences, typically within the rice producing and export areas. However, the plan is still under review.

There is no doubt that something must be done to ease the burden and damage caused by future storms. King Maha Vajiralongkorn has urged the Prime Minister to come up with a long term plan to alleviated water damage in the future.

Hopefully the relief fund will offer some compensation to farmers and help stabilise rice production.

Source: Thai Visa Content: TPVS