Project assistance completion report : Northeast small-scale irrigation project

Some 4,600 households directly benefit from the rehabilitated irrigation systems, farmers accept and increasingly use modern production inputs, and farm incomes rose almost to the target level and are expected to increase further. Cropping intensity during the wet season is 100%, and yields of glutinous rice -- the traditional wet season crop -- are two to three times higher than before irrigation was available. However, farmers are turning gradually to non-glutinous rice because of better yields and prices. Dry season cropping is also turning toward quality production of higher priced crops. During the wet season, land in the project area can now be fully utilized, even in dry years, which is not the case for nearby areas or for the majority of farms in the Northeast. The training program, group organization and development, and various promotion activities have significantly increased farmer capability in production, execution of group activities, business operation for input and marketing, and coordination with staff of line agencies. A major factor in the project's success is the development of Thailand's private sector. When reservoirs were first constructed in the 1960's, farmers had water but no outlet for their products. Today, by contrast, private processing plants throughout the region provide incentives by ensuring that farmers can benefit from their labor. The project's very capable Thai contractor, TEAM Consulting Engineers Co., Ltd., also deserves credit for much of the project's success. Future projects should make use of the country's many competent engineering firms.