Oil palm farmers protest in Krabi and Trang as Commerce Ministry announces new measures

 

Meanwhile, the Commerce Ministry said it would announce a price recommendation today of Bt4 per kilogram for palm nut with 17-per-cent oil, and would impose regulations obliging farmers to harvest their produce when it has a high percentage of oil.

In Krabi, a 200-strong group showed up along with 50 tonnes of oil-palm produce on 10 trucks before noon. They claim the sagging price stems from the recent import of 50,000 tonnes of palm fruit and factories’ under-pricing.

The group, led by Chalit Sukkho and Kosin Suwanwattana, said the palm price had sunk to only Bt2.50 per kilogram, the lowest in a decade. The lowest price ever occurred in 2006 at Bt2.05 per kilogram. 

The group also urged the government to use more palm oil for electricity generation, to provide palm-stock services, to prohibit the import of oil palm and to solve the issue of expensive fertiliser. 

As Krabi-based Commerce Ministry official took up the complaint and said the ministry would help push the price up to Bt4 per kilogram. However, the farmers were not satisfied with this, claiming that the price would not make their investment worthwhile. 

 

Demand clear answer 

Hence, they insisted they would continue to camp at City Hall until they get a clear answer.

In Trang province, another group of oil-palm growers led by Chairit Thaiyuan, president of the Trang Palm Farmers Association, yesterday submitted a five-point demand to the prime minister via deputy provincial governor Nikorn Suksai at City Hall. They wanted the government to cover the difference between factory/purchase point pricing and their desired final price of Bt5 per kilo. They also wanted a Bt1,000-per-rai subsidy for oil-palm cultivation for up to 50 rai (8 hectares) per case. 

They also called for the establishment of a provincial-level committee to solve the pricing problem with farmers’ participation, and the requirement for palm growers to register with the state before receiving aid. 

They warned the government to solve the problem within seven days or they would have a major protest.

After a meeting of his ministry’s subcommittee on palm and palm-oil marketing, Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya said the price recommendation of Bt4 per kilo and the new harvesting regulation would ensure that palm farmers did not suffer from falling prices, while their crops would be of good quality for the production of palm oil.

From today, palm farmers will have three months to adjust to the new regulation. 

In an effort to shore up the price, the Public Warehouse Organisation will also purchase palm nut directly from farmers.