Agricultural Ministry provides 12 tonnes of hay to save dying Phatthalung buffalos

“The minister is concerned about the farmers and their buffalo after news outlets published pictures of several carcasses of buffalo floating on the lake in the Thalay Noi no-hunting area earlier this month,” department director-general Sorawit Thaneeto said on Tuesday.

After an investigation, the department found that about 300 farmers are herding more than 4,000 buffalos in the no-hunting zone, which spans about 280,000 rai.

The area is normally flooded from October to November each year and after the water subsides the land is abundant in grass and small weeds, making it an excellent food source for cattle.

“However, this year the flood has yet to go down since October 2021, which has resulted in buffalos having no food and dying of famine, especially the newborns. In the past six months we have recorded 89 young deaths and two adult deaths,” he said.

To tackle the problem, the ministry has provided 12,000kg of hay that it received from His Majesty the King to farmers in Thalay Noi subdistrict, and has also sent in veterinarians to treat sick buffalos and check the health of herds to make sure they carry no communicable diseases.

Since the campaign started in March, farmers have brought in at least 17 sick buffalos for treatment, with the team of vets being able to save seven.

The vets have also provided more than 100 sets of laxatives and supplementary food to farmers, who suspect that their herds might have parasites.