Thailand: Bang Rakam water project raises income for farmers
The Bang Rakam Model project, now in its seventh year, has been deemed successful in providing farmers with adequate amounts of water to grow crops and boost their income.
Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The Bang Rakam Model project, now in its seventh year, has been deemed successful in providing farmers with adequate amounts of water to grow crops and boost their income.
The project shifted the rice growing period to commence earlier each year in the low-lying areas of Sukhothai and Phitsanulok, reducing the impact of floods during the rainy season by allocating water to 260,000 rai of the target areas.
Farmers in Kongkrailat district now receive water early each year and have purchased a straw baler that allows them to compress rice straw into bale blocks that can then be sold. This initiative, aimed at reducing the burning of rice straw and the creation of PM2.5 dust particles, generated millions of baht in cash flow for local farmers.
Watermelon yields from farmers total about 80 tonnes, which are shipped in bulk by intermediaries at 10 baht per kilogram and sold by farmers at a retail price of 15 baht per kilogram.
The implementation of this water management model has been acknowledged by farmers in other areas who are requesting that the Royal Irrigation Department expand its implementation area./.
The labour market of Thailand improved in the first quarter of 2023, with 98% of the labour force employed, according to the National Statistical Office (NSO).
Sanitaryware price hikes led to a 3.5% increase in the standard home construction price index in the first quarter of this year amid higher fuel costs, according to the Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) of Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Public Health Ministry remain concerned about a relapse of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared an end to the public health emergency status for the pandemic worldwide on May 5, the country’s government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said on May 9.
Thai farmers have been asked to grow only one rice crop this coming season as rainfall will be below average because of the El Nino weather pattern, said the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Illustrative image. (Photo:thainews.prd.go.th) 
