It'll take over 5 years to clear stockpiles: exporter
Kobsuk Iamsuri, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, lamented Monday that the government would have to spend more than five years to clear the stockpiles accumulated under the rice-pledging scheme.
She said that the government must stop building up stocks, while benefits to farmers should be maintained. To achieve this, the pledging process must be shortened.
The procedure right now is too big and complicated to handle, she said. Even a special unit could not thoroughly inspect over 1,000 rice mills involved in the project.
Rice exporters have attacked the scheme, saying that it encourages farmers to sell their rice to the government for the attractive price. Thai exporters also face hard time in selling rice, given the high pledging price.
