Every time watching television and seeing news about agricultural crops damaged by drought or flood, I cannot help but really think that the path of agricultural development in Thailand will be quite a long way. Of course, the "development" itself does not have an end word. But if you ask how far the Thai agriculture goes today, is it moving in the right direction? - It is still no less suspicious.
Is Thai agriculture missing anything? It was a question that arose in my mind, but at that time the question was still just the question. Until the opportunity to travel to a province, which is often news of drought and floods, often seen on television had come.
I was fortune to be a passenger while traveling to my destination as I had the opportunity to look out the window of the car. Both ways at that time were agricultural areas with a canal full of water flowing along the road before separating into various areas such as paddy fields, vegetable gardens, and orchards. Everything looked very green and that made me happy to see.
But that's not all I saw. When the car ran past those inviting fields and gardens, like waking up from the dream, I soon encountered another agricultural area where everything appeared to be reversed from what I just saw.
I saw the dried fields that many times larger than the green fields without a canal full of water. Most of the crops that were cultivated were field crops that grew own their own. I decided to dodge my eyes back into the car. Because the more I looked out three, the more I felt uncomfortably hot.
Though the journey that day had ended, but I can't deny myself that the image of that arid area was still stuck in the brain even during my bed time.
I kept asking myself why the two areas are as different as the sky and the earth, though they are not far from each other. At that moment, the existing doubts and arising questions from that trip had gathered together. I, then, made some decisions.
When I returned home, I immediately started to find the cause of the differences between the two areas. Until I found out that agricultural areas are divided into two types, which are "agricultural areas in irrigation zone" and "areas outside irrigation zone". The first area is managed and systematically supervised for water. I immediately recalled how both areas are different in the canal system, including those sluices. And when I researched, I found out that the agricultural areas outside the irrigation zone have greater areas than the ones with in the irrigation zones.
When I discovered the answer, my suspicions were eliminated, but instead replaced by concerns. It came to my concerns how those systems are not widely spread, though it always rains very hard in those area. How were they unable to keep water that it became a drought in the summer? How could water issue is neglected though everyone knows that water is the basic need for agriculture? This is not only limited to the irrigation systems but also other infrastructure such as electricity, telephone, road or even the internet. Many areas, despite the short distance to the city, still lack these things regretfully. At a time when society is talking about agricultural sustainability and sustainable agriculture system, frankly speaking, I don’t think any type of agricultural system would survive without these fundamental infrastructures provided in the first place.
Think about it! If there are many good crops to plant but without water that you have to rely on the seasonal rain only. If there’s no sufficient electricity provided for consumption. If there’s no good roads to transport products or to connect people to travel to buy organic products directly from farmers. How will agriculture improve? How could many farmers sustain themselves economically? How does sustainable agriculture system survive? How does organic agriculture begin? As long as there’s no basic facilities and infrastructure people, how should the development happen?
Author
Pianchai Makmee
Independent Writer