Farmers who were asked to put off their rice cultivation this year will not get cash compensation but will be assisted by the government in the form of farming cost and promotion to cultivate other low water use plants.
Deputy prime minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula said he would propose the cabinet tomorrow to assist farmers in farming cost instead of the 1,000 baht per rai as cash compensation, as well as in promoting them to grow low water use plants.
This would not cost the government much in term of budgets as the government still have budget inn the emergency fund to support this scheme, he said.
Meanwhile Agriculture Minister Pitipong Phuengboon na Ayudhaya said latest aerial survey by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency showed rice cultivation areas rise to 4 million rai from 3.4 million rai after the government issued announcement urging farmers to delay rice cultivation.
He said the increase in cultivation areas by 600,000 rai carries high risk of total damage due to water shortage from drought.
He warned farmers not to cultivate the remaining over two million rai otherwise they will face total damage from drought.
He also said he would propose the cabinet to promote farmers to cultivate other crops that use low water, and also to suspend interest collection temporarily until new crops produces yields and generate revenues for farmers.