Thai water buffalo numbers reduced
Bangkok Post: 3 Jul 2010
AGRICULTURE
Thai buffalo threatened as numbers fallThai water buffalo are threatened with extinction as farmers replace them with machinery.
Their meat is also much fancied by folks in the North and parts of the Northeast, says the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry.
Since 1980, the number of water buffalo has fallen from six million to about 1.3 million, with a marked drop in the past one or two years leaving their population in crisis, said minister Theera Wongsamut yesterday.
The fall in buffalo numbers has deprived Thailand of the world record it once held for the largest number of water buffalo.
It is now behind neighbouring countries such as Laos, Burma, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Water buffalo, once great helpers to farmers, are fading to the far corner of the rice paddy.
Farming machines, which promise far better working speed and efficiency, have stolen their jobs.Buffalo meat lovers, meanwhile, are in a hurry to get them on to the plate, especially baby calves from their mothers' wombs, which is how many people like to eat them, Mr Theera said.
The Livestock Development Department is trying to stop this trend. Officials are telling farmers how water buffalo could help them get through economic problems, and are campaigning against buffalo meat eating.
Her Majesty the Queen wants farmers to return to work with water buffalo because they could help them save money if the economy falters.
The department is lending animals from a water buffalo bank to farmers while the Agricultural Land Reform Fund will grant farmers low-interest loans for buying the animals.
Mr Theera urged farmers to use water buffalo and adopt the sufficiency economy philosophy to save money.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/184662/thai-buffalo-threatened-as-numbers-fall
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