Farmers protest
Some 300 longan farmers used 50 vehicles to block the road to the Chiang Rai city hall yesterday, demanding the government help to hike longan prices. They complained that although Chiang Rai was a redshirt stronghold, Pheu Thai Party MPs and PM Yingluck
The group first protested on Monday over the middlemen's low pricing, buying grade AA longan at Bt15/kg, grade A longan at Bt8 and grade B at Bt4. They said officials promised to talk the middlemen into raising the prices to Bt20, Bt15 and Bt8 respectively. However the middlemen later insisted on the old prices, and the farmers' yesterday staged their road blockade.
Deputy provincial governor Surachai Linthong negotiated with the group's representatives and resolved that the province would order the provincial and local administrative organisations to temporarily allocate some budget to buy longans from farmers. From today, if middlemen agree to buy grade AA longans at Bt17/kg, they will be compensated Bt3/kg, allowing the farmers to get a favourable price.
