Thailand approves budget for irrigation of farmland.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: General News - Bt200-billion plan to be implemented over next four years, The Nation reports.

Up to 70 per cent of Thai farmland will be irrigated within the next four years, up from just 23 per cent today, if the government's massive Bt200-billion initiative to improve water supply and distribution is implemented, said Natural Resources and the Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti.

Suwit said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday assigned government agencies to draw up development plans for each of the country's 25 river basins to improve the management of water supply distribution for households, agriculture and industry.

The Ping and Moon river basins in the North and Northeast, respectively, have been chosen for pilot projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity and output, he said.

Suwit said that out of 131 million rai of farmland in Thailand, more than 30 million rai, or 22.9 per cent, can be classified as perfect and semi-perfect irrigated areas. Under the plan, irrigated land could be increased to 60-70 per cent of the total, he said.

The remaining farmland would have to continue to rely on underground water ...