Rice seeds distributed to Thailand's flood-hit farmers

BANGKOK, December 17 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has distributed quality rice seeds to local farmers who became victims of the country's massive floods over the past couple of months, with those in Nakhon Sawan Province in the Lower Thai North first receiving the official support this week. Thai Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Supatra Thanaseniwat said that the move is part of her ministry's measures to assist local farmers in the post-flood period. Supatra acknowledged that her ministry will totally distribute some 2.22 million kilograms of rice seeds of three quality rice strains to about 22,760 flood-affected farmers to be cultivated on about 220,000 rai of their rice fields. The senior Thai official said that the program will be carried out in two phases, during the immediate post-flood period and during the annual grain harvesting season next year, and that her ministry will also hand out financial support to the flood-affected farmers, 2,222 baht for every rai of their damaged rice field. According to Nakhon Sawan Deputy Governor Winai Sitthimonthon, this year's flooding crisis has affected 71,520 local farmers, as more than 1.35 rai of farmlands in his province have been damaged. (TNA)