Agriculture Ministry Prepares for El Niño with Water Management Plan

Deputy Minister Krit Utthama Wethin chaired the Agriculture Ministry's second disaster monitoring and resolution meeting for 2569, attended by Thitidet Lohapiayaphan, inspector-general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and other officials both in person and via Zoom. The Royal Irrigation Department reported that El Niño conditions are likely to worsen, with water availability expected to decline by 19% from the previous year during the early dry season. The irrigation authority will address this by prioritizing rainwater use supplemented by irrigation water, while accelerating the dredging of water sources, removing aquatic weeds, and deploying more than 5,991 pieces of machinery across high-risk areas nationwide. The ministry will also adjust water diversion plans and provide weekly updates to manage both flood and drought risks, while expediting relief payments to affected farmers.

The meeting also considered measures to prevent agricultural burning during the 2569/70 season to reduce PM2.5 dust pollution that harms public health and the economy. Officials emphasized promoting farmers to change practices and abandon field burning by supporting agricultural technology, machinery, and microbes that decompose rice straw, while encouraging value-added processing of agricultural waste and alternative crops to provide supplemental income through environmentally friendly farm management. The deputy minister directed all units to integrate their efforts and formulate concrete action plans with allocated budgets to implement measures on the ground effectively, aiming not only to prevent and mitigate natural disaster damage but also to raise farmer incomes, reduce costs, and improve the livelihoods of Thai farmers sustainably.