Farmers in the Central Plains provinces are planting more off-season rice crops than allowed at their own peril, a senior irrigation officer warned.
Bowdaeng Takaew, head of the Ayutthaya Irrigation Project, said many farmers in the Central region have refused to cooperate with authorities and gone ahead with planting the crops despite warnings of a water shortage this summer.
A survey by the authorities found farmers in the Central Plains have grown more than 5.3 million rai of off-season rice crops, 2.7 million rai more than the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is able to supply water for.
The Rangsit-Nakhon Nayok road subsides in the middle as the adjacent Khlong 9 dries up. Apichit Jinakul
In many areas, the rice crops are around two months old and due for harvest at the end of April, he added.
Irrigation officials have repeatedly warned farmers of an impending drought and a water shortage in many parts of the country.
The RID also urged farmers to switch to growing drought-resistant crops.
In Ayutthaya alone, more than 570,000 rai of off-season rice crops have been grown. However, the province has enough water to feed 340,000 rai of the rice, Mr Bowdaeng said.
The water shortage would adversely affect agricultural production and selling prices, he said.
The water scarcity will also undermine the provincial water management plan as farmers will be desperate in looking for water sources to be diverted to their farmland for use, possibly leading to water conflict.
Meanwhile, farmers in drought-hit Chai Nat have showed resilience as they have opted for alternative crops.
Kitti Paeng Nakhon, 58, a farmer in Moo 7, tambon Thammamoon, Muang district of Chai Nat decided to grow peanuts, which require less water consumption this summer.
He found peanuts generated more income than even the off-season rice.
Mr Kitti said he received 17,000 baht per rai from selling his peanuts to a middle-man.
The peanuts, he added, would fetch a higher price if sold directly to vendors who boil them for sale, he added.
Since December, Mr Kitti has grown peanuts at his farm using water pumped from the Chao Phraya River. He had invested around 7,000 baht per rai for growing peanuts.
The mature peanuts can be harvested in 60 days, according to him.
He said the peanuts also produce more yields and command a better price than off-season rice, although he did not say how much he made from selling rice.
Last week, the Agriculture Ministry said the water levels in 34 main reservoirs and dams were adequate, with 21 billion cubic metres of usable water stored in total, which is seven billion cubic metres more than at the same time last year.
However, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned that some of the large reservoirs might have to stop feeding water to farmland in coming weeks, when temperatures are predicted to surge in many agricultural areas.