Northern Thailand hits by drought

CHIANG RAI, Jan 23 (TNA) - Several northern provinces are currently encountering severe drought while agriculturists in Uttaradit province have switched to growing vegetables which consume less water. Parts of Lao and Kok rivers in the northernmost province of Chiang Rai in which over 120,000 acres of rice field have dried out, allowing people to cross to the other side. Farmers in a village of the provincial seat have decided to pump water released from a dyke to feed their rice field as the rice grown by farmers during the off-season have started to die. Provincial officials have requested farmers in and outside irrigational areas to stop growing rice during the off-season. In Chiang Rai, the governor has declared 65 villages in Phan พาน district drought-stricken areas. In Uttaradit province, governor Sarusak Charoensirichote presented vegetable seeds to agriculturists in 16 villages who have earlier attended a meeting on growing vegetables which consume little water. Mr. Sarusak said drought situation in the province has become deteriorated and water released from Sirikit Dam is for consumption. More than 18,000 farming families in Uttaradit have already switched to growing vegetables and it takes them about one month to collect yields. (TNA)