Deputy agriculture minister reviews Yom River plan for Phrae farmers

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Piyarat Tiyapairat visited Mae Yom Weir in Ban Nun subdistrict, Song district, Phrae province, on Saturday (June 20) to monitor water levels and review local water management plans.

She was accompanied by officials during the field inspection, which also included meetings with local farmers to hear their concerns, proposals and needs directly.

Piya Lueutikulvong, director of Irrigation Office 4, joined executives and officials from agencies under his supervision in following up on the situation and gathering feedback from residents in the area.

Asanee Jaruchat, director of the Phrae Irrigation Project, briefed the delegation on the province’s water situation and management measures. The plans are aimed at preparing for water demand across all sectors while improving water management during both the rainy and dry seasons.

Chaiwat Kamthong, director of the Mae Yom Operation and Maintenance Project, outlined the role of Mae Yom Weir in Ban Nun subdistrict. The large-scale irrigation project diverts water from the Mae Yom River and supplies farming areas through left-bank and right-bank canal systems.

The irrigation network covers more than 339 kilometres and includes 2,139 irrigation structures. It distributes water to farmland in five districts — Song, Nong Muang Khai, Mueang Phrae, Sung Men and Den Chai — covering 196,000 rai of irrigated land. The system also supports water control and drainage across all seasons.

Chok Printrakun, director of Large-Scale Irrigation Construction Office 4, presented progress on planned large-scale water development projects.

These include the construction of a pumping station with a water transmission system and related structures, the improvement and efficiency upgrade of the Mae Yom Weir headworks, the Ban Hat On water control structure in Wang Chin district, and the Ban Wang Nam Yen water control structure in Long district.

The projects are designed to improve water management, expand distribution to agricultural areas and reduce the impact of flooding in local communities.

Watcharadul Thanamee, director of Medium-Scale Irrigation Construction Office 4, also reported progress on medium-scale water development projects in Phrae.

These include the Huai Mae On Reservoir with a water transmission system in Pa Sak subdistrict, Wang Chin district, and the Huai Mae Kon Reservoir in Cho Hae subdistrict, Mueang Phrae district.

Officials expect the projects to increase raw water reserves, strengthen water security and support Phrae’s agricultural development in the long term.

The planned water development forms part of wider efforts to improve management capacity in the Yom River basin, ensuring more reliable water supplies for consumption, agriculture and future flood response.