Farmers urge govt to hold off on price cut
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Networks believe it will be less painful |if new rate introduced in November
The cut in the rice-pledging price to Bt12,000 per tonne could be less painful for farmers if it is put in effect during the next harvest season in November, instead of it being implemented right away on July 1.
Rising costs means that the upcoming harvest will yield a lot less for farmers if the government’s pledged price is cut from the original rate of Bt15,000 per tonne, a statement from farmers’ groups said. Instead of slashing the pledged price, they called on the government to stop millers and corrupt officials from using illegal methods.
Farmers’ groups said that if the government really wanted popular support, it should offer tangible subsidies such as cutting the price of diesel, halving the price of fertiliser and reducing the leasing rate of farmland.
Wichian Puanglamjiak, chief of the Thai Agriculturist Association, said slashing the pledged price right now was unacceptable, but could work if it is introduced in November. He said the three main farmers’ bodies – his, the Farmers Thai Rice Association and the Thai Farmers Support Association – were joining hands to discuss solutions and push them forward to the government for concrete implementation.
Wichian had earlier threatened to hold a series of mass rallies to protest against the Bt3,000 reduction, but did not say whether he was going to pursue the planned gathering if the rate would be returned to Bt15,000 by today – the day the government has promised to issue a final answer on the issue.
TOO MUCH CORRUPTION
Prathum Saengkham, the leader of a farmers’ group in Phitsanulok, said most farmers got Bt1,000 or less for a tonne of unhulled rice from millers even though the price was guaranteed at Bt15,000. He added that he agreed with Wichian that the Bt12,000 rate should be put in effect in the next harvest season, so farmers could then choose how much land they should cultivate to cope with the lower rate.
Somyong Soithong, another farmer from Phitsanulok, echoed figures estimated by the BioThai Foundation that farmers would each receive only Bt360 per tonne if the per-tonne rate was reduced to Bt12,000, which would be a huge drop from the Bt3,360 they have been getting at the original Bt15,000 rate.
Both Prathum and Somyong agreed that the government scheme was prone to corruption, while the previous formula – the so-called rice-guarantee method – made it more difficult for millers and corrupt officials to cheat.
This article is the last in a two-part series.
