Very dry weather is limiting the growing season of Thailand's rice crop.Across Thailand, many farmers are growing worried as they wait for the rainy season. "This is the worst drought ever," says this rice farmer.To protect water supplies, the government has reduced the flow of water from reservoirs. The reduction has changed the look of many rice fields.Irrigation ditches are now filled with wet soil or mud. They normally are full with water for crops.Anant Seechanpang is a rice farmer. He is hoping for a more permanent solution to the problem.He says, "We need help building a dam or a reservoir to keep water for us to use for planting rice while we wait for the rain to come --to hold the water for a month or so before the rainy season starts."Some farmers are now digging for groundwater. But this activity might put aquifers at risk.Last year, officials warned that some underground water supplies would run dry. But many farmers were unprepared.Some agricultural experts say Thai farmers need help learning new ways to deal with having less water.
