Elephants wreak havoc on Prachin Buri sugarcane farms
Farmers in Prachin Buri’s Kabin Buri district face significant challenges as wild elephants from the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao province have invaded their sugarcane fields.
Over 50 sugarcane farmers from the subdistricts of Khao Mai Kaew and Wang Tha Chang gathered at the district office yesterday, January 27 to submit a letter to District Chief Thammarat Ngamsang, seeking assistance.
The elephants have caused substantial damage to the crops and are residing in the sugarcane fields in Wang Tha Chang. This situation has rendered workers unable to harvest fresh sugarcane due to safety concerns. The farmers are left with limited options, as burning the sugarcane, a method they prefer not to use could result in losing government aid for three years and facing legal repercussions.
The inability to harvest the sugarcane on time is causing financial distress for the farmers, who had borrowed money to invest in their crops. From December to March, many farmers took loans averaging 12,000 baht per rai to cultivate sugarcane. If they cannot harvest and sell their produce, there is a risk of asset seizure and bankruptcy due to their inability to repay the debts, reported KhaoSod.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) released a report estimating Thailand’s wild elephant population to be between 4,013 and 4,422. These elephants are dispersed across 91 forests. The report highlights increasing conflicts between wild elephants and communities, particularly severe in the eastern forests, with an annual population growth rate of 8.2%, affecting 257 villages across six provinces.
In similar news, farmers near Thap Lan National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima faced a challenging new year as they worked tirelessly to protect their crops from wild elephants. As the rest of the nation celebrated, around 40 farmers in Lampiek subdistrict, Khon Buri district, are taking turns to guard their fields against the rampaging elephants.
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