Cassava farmers in Ban Nong Bo thong village in Muang district, Nakhon Ratchasima, are increasingly dependent on buffalo labour because of rising fuel prices, PRASIT TANGPRASERT
Some people are happy over the ever-increasing cost of fuel. Certainly people in oil-producing countries are happy and so are the employees of many oil companies.
You can and 56-year-old Chumpol Thitika to that list. He owns a herd of six water buffaloes and they are now in great demand in his village, High fuel costs have forced many cassava farmers in the area to switch to using his water buffalos instead of mechanical ploughs. The waiting list for farmers wanting to rent his livestock is now more than two weeks.
The animals hire out for 120 baht per rai ploughed, compared to owners Of mechanical ploughs, who charge 250 baht per rai, Altogether one buffalo can command 500 to 600 baht a day.
Even though the buffaloes are slower than the machines, they do little damage to the cassava crop, Mr Chumpol said, Another advantage water buffaloes have, headed, is that they can work in the narrow furrows between the crop rows, which are difficult for large machines to endter.
Preeda Saralai, a cassava farmer, said he hired buffaloes to till his 26 rai of land and he was satisfied with their performance.
Using buffaloes could help him save a lot of money, he said,
Meanwhile, the cost of keeping our vehicles running keeps rising. PTT Plc and Bangchak Petroleum today raised all fuel by yet another 80 satang per litre, keeping the price for diesel at the pump at over 40 baht.
Everyone is feeling the pinch, but the prospect for seeing water buffalo taxis in Bangkok is very unlikely. (296)
Adapted from a story in the Bangkok Post by Prasit Tangprasert.