Longan farmers want guaranteed price for crop
Longan farmers have asked the government to subsidise a minimum price for their crops.
Representatives of farmers in the North submitted their proposal on Wednesday (June 10) to Thammanat Prompao, the Deputy Agriculture Minister, through Sompong Amornwiwat, Pheu Thai MP and opposition leader.
They asked the government to guarantee prices for a total of 196,655 farming households in 33 provinces across the country.
The farmers want price guarantees of Bt40 per kilogram for AA-grade longan or compensation of Bt8 per kilo, since the fruit’s market price has now fallen to Bt32 per kilo.
The government has already set a price guarantee for rubber at Bt60 per kilo, double the market price of Bt30.
Sompong said he would put the price-guarantee request to the House of Representatives and ask the government for remedial measures. Fruit farmers have been badly hit by the Covid-19 crisis, which has seen exports and demand for their crops plummet, dragging down the market price.