Narathiwat: Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Itthi Sirilathayakorn, recently visited Narathiwat Province to offer support and encouragement to the people and farmers affected by severe flooding. During his visit, he provided royal animal feed grass supplies to help alleviate the hardships faced by livestock farmers and ordered an urgent survey of the damage to facilitate assistance and rehabilitation efforts.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Somchuan Rattanamangalanon, Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development, delegated Mr. Praphas Pinyochip, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development, along with Mr. Rakthai Ngamphakdi, Director of the Animal Food and Drug Control Division, and Mr. Chakkraphong Khanbo, the Provincial Livestock Officer of Narathiwat, to accompany Mr. Itthi. They were joined by officers from the Narathiwat Provincial Livestock Office, the Narathiwat Animal Feed Research and Development Center, the Narathiwat Animal Research and B
reeding Center, and the Narathiwat Animal Quarantine Checkpoint, as well as other relevant government agencies.
In a gesture of goodwill, Mr. Itthiphon distributed 400 cooked meals from the livestock kitchen to residents in Tambon Khosit, Amphoe Tak Bai, Narathiwat Province. He also provided 300 bales (9,000 kilograms) of royal animal feed (dried grass) as initial relief to assist livestock farmers struggling due to the flooding.
The Livestock Disaster Prevention and Resolution Center has reported that the floods have impacted 9 provinces: Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, Satun, and Trang. The affected areas include 71 districts, 425 sub-districts, and 2,235 villages, affecting 117,400 farmers. A total of 5,753,340 animals are in the flooded regions, including 215,925 cows, 8,453 buffaloes, 75,164 pigs, 135,775 goats/sheep, and 5,318,023 poultry. Additionally, 6,017.50 rai of pastures have been affected.
Animal deaths and missing cases have been reported in 5
provinces: Songkhla, Satun, Phatthalung, Pattani, and Yala, with a total of 94,749 animals dead or missing. This includes 137 cows, 6 buffalo, 13 goats, 9 sheep, and 94,584 poultry.
The Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development emphasized the swift provision of assistance to farmers affected by the flooding. This includes delivering royal animal feed plants capable of withstanding disasters, evacuating pets to safety, and supplying minerals and medical supplies to affected animals. Various units of the Department of Livestock Development have already mobilized to provide immediate assistance, distributing 134,240 kilograms of animal feed, evacuating 207,793 animals, supplying 268 animal health promotion kits (containing minerals, antibiotics, and vitamins), treating 701 animals, and providing 158 animal survival bags.
Furthermore, Mr. Itthi ordered a comprehensive survey of the flood damage to provide relief in line with the Ministry of Finance regulations on government reserve funds for e
mergency disaster relief in 2019. Plans for recovery after the floodwaters recede are also being developed to ensure that farmers can return to their livelihoods and earn a normal income as soon as possible.
Farmers affected by the flood are encouraged to reach out to their provincial livestock office, district livestock office, local animal feed research and development center, or contact the livestock special project and disaster prevention group, livestock promotion and development division at tel. 0 2653 4444 ext. 3315.