Thai farmers to earn supplementary income in dry season

BANGKOK, March 10 (TNA) - The Royal Irrigation Department, under the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has announced to hire farmers across the country to work for irrigation projects to help them earn supplementary income during the ongoing dry season, when they are advised not to grow off-season rice to avoid any water shortage this year. Royal Irrigation Department Director-General Sanchai Ketworachai told journalists of the move on Friday, as instructed by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya. Sanchai said his department has, thus, set aside a budget of about 3.5 billion baht to hire farmers nationwide for construction and maintenance works to increase efficiency of irrigation systems throughout the country in preparation for the next rice cultivation season. So far, the senior official noted, his department has spent nearly 560 million baht to hire 41,184 farmers in 76Thai provinces. According to the senior official, farmers who have registered with the ministry's Department of Agricultural Extension and their families' members are prioritized in the ongoing off-season-harvest job creation plan in order to help them earn income while waiting for growing rice again in the next rainy season. (TNA)