Northeast Thailand: Monsoon season wrecks havoc on paddy fields, farmers scramble

A dramatic shift in weather patterns during the late monsoon season has wreaked havoc on the paddy fields in the Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Heavy rainfall coupled with strong winds, which are typical of the monsoon season in Thailand, has resulted in the collapse of rice crops, causing significant damage to farmers in the Khorat Plateau region. The extreme conditions have forced farmers to hurriedly harvest high-quality seed grains, even as they fear the onset of diseases due to the moist conditions.

The weather anomalies at the end of the monsoon season and the onset of the winter have resulted in a mixed bag of heavy rainfall and strong winds. These conditions have devastated the rice crops of farmers in the Khorat Plateau region, particularly in the areas of Khok Sung, Kham Thale So, and Khon Buri. The worst-hit region appears to be the Ban Bueng Phatthana area in the Buri subdistrict where the rice crops have been flattened across dozens of plots, covering hundreds of acres.

Some farmers had to accelerate their harvesting schedules despite the ongoing rainfall moistening the rice crops. The damp conditions brought on by the monsoon season make the grains less valuable in the market but leaving the crops exposed to the weather would risk further damage, potentially leading to rot and disease. The flattened crops can also result in the grains getting squashed, further reducing their market value.

One of the affected farmers, Sonan Aebphakwaen, shared his experience of the last four to five days. He said that the heavy rainfall and strong winds had severely affected his and many other farmers’ rice crops that were ready for harvest. The wind and rain knocked the crops down, potentially leading to squashed grains and reduced yield. He had to quickly collect the undamaged grains to be used as seeds for the next planting season, reported KhaoSod.

Sonan emphasized the urgency of harvesting as soon as possible to prevent any issues arising from fungi and various diseases due to the current high humidity levels. He remains hopeful for a good rice price this year as the current price for husked rice stands at 8 to 9 baht per kilogramme.