Thailand: Strong prices increase farmer’s cash income despite floods

Recent floods have affected an estimated 4 million rai of farmlands, including 2.8 million rai of rice fields, one million rai of field crops and 120,000 rai of orchards.

The Agriculture Ministry has sought cabinet approval for 3-4 billion baht to compensate farmers affected by the recent floods, which has reduced farm household income for the 2010-11 crop year.

On the “brighter side” says Apichart Jongskul, secretary general of the Office of Agricultural Economics, is that strong prices during the recent crop year, ending in April 2010, increased the farmers average cash income by 2.5% to 135,531 baht per household, for which food crops, mainly rice, contributed the major portion of up to 86%, to Thailand’s total farm earnings, while the balance came from livestock and other sources.

(By Joyce Rainat)