Bangkok: The government has unveiled criteria for compensating livestock damage while pushing for integrated efforts to support flood victims across nine southern provinces.
According to Thai News Agency, the initiative, directed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, sees Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Captain Thammanat Prompao coordinating with related agencies for swift relief. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is working to ensure immediate aid, particularly focusing on livestock damage. Provincial and district livestock offices have been tasked to assess damages promptly as floodwaters recede, facilitating timely compensation for affected farmers.
The compensation framework categorizes assistance based on livestock type, age, and the maximum support per case. For cows, compensation ranges from 13,000 to 35,000 baht per head, depending on age, with a maximum of five heads per person. Buffaloes receive 15,000 to 39,000 baht per head, capped at five heads per person. Pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, quail, ostriches, and geese have specific compensation rates and caps, reflecting their age and type. Additionally, support for grass conversion for animal feed is set at 1,980 baht per rai, up to 30 rai per person.
Preliminary data from the Department of Livestock Development reports 78,721 animals dead or missing across eight provinces, including Phatthalung, Trang, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Among these are 1,439 cattle and buffalo, eight pigs, 98 goats, 21 sheep, and 77,155 poultry. The government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, pledges full support until conditions improve. Affected farmers can seek assistance from district or provincial livestock offices or through the DLD 4.0 app, available around the clock.