FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Bhumjaithai MPs to meet agriculture minister to request rubber prices be shored up 

Bhumjaithai MPs to meet agriculture minister to request rubber prices be shored up 

A group of Bhumjaithai MPs and elected lawmakers from other parties will ask Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on to implement measures to shore up the falling prices of latex and rubber sheets.

Natchanon Srikorkua, a Bhumjaithai MP from Songkhla who chairs a House subcommittee on falling commodity prices, said he would lead the party’s MPs and MPs from other parties to meet Chalermchai on Wednesday.
Natchanon said the price of latex has fallen to be about Bt31 to Bt33 per kilogram, causing rubber planters in the South and other regions financial distress.
The falling prices for rubber latex and sheet, as well as oil palm fruit, has prompted the House of Representatives to set up the panel headed by Natchanon to study how to tackle the issue within 60 days.
Natchanon said the MPs from provinces with rubber plantations would meet with the agriculture minister to submit three demands made by rubber planters, so that Chalermchai could take action to shore up prices.
Natchanon said MPs from all parties must be united to tackle the issue of falling rubber prices.
He said his panel would study the operations of the Rubber Authority of Thailand do gauge whether it had done enough to shore up the prices. The panel may also consult with rubber exporters to investigate why prices have fallen.
Meanwhile, Phairat Joeychum, president of the Phatthalung Rubber Cooperative, has placed blame on a business unit of the rubber authority for the falling prices.
Phairat alleged the business unit has failed to intervene in all central rubber markets at the same time, instead choosing to bid at too high a price for rubber sheets at a single central market. The unrealistically high prices caused the private firms to be unable to buy rubber sheets, and caused the rubber farmers to be unable to sell their products, eventually causing the market price to fall.

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