Rice farmers have been asked not to plant a second crop, because there may not be enough water, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.

Although no province has declared a drought yet, the ministry said that some areas are now experiencing water shortages and have advised farmers to exercise caution by avoiding second-crop cultivation and turning to crops which consume less water, if they want to continue cultivation in the dry season to make some extra income.

The ministry noted that the current main crop has already exceeded the target of about 480,000 hectares, adding that, although there is sufficient water to last through the dry season, it is intended to be used for consumption and ecological conservation until July.

Farmers who need to make extra income during the dry season have been advised to apply for manual jobs, being offered by the Royal Irrigation Department.  There are 94,000 job openings and only 17,000 people have applied.

To ease water shortages during the dry season, the ministry’s Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation has, so far, conducted 175 cloud-seeding flights in 33 provinces.