FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Commerce Ministry cooks up rice-price guarantee criteria

Commerce Ministry cooks up rice-price guarantee criteria

The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Internal Trade has set price guarantee criteria for five types of rice for the 2018-2019 growing season and assured farmers they’ll get the money from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives promptly.

Director-general Wichai Phochanakit said on Thursday (September 26) that the department worked on the criteria with the Rice Price Guarantee Committee for distributing Bt21.4 billion allocated by the Cabinet.
“To be eligible for the price guarantee programme, candidates must register as rice farmers in the 2018-2019 growing season before October 31, though farmers in the South have until February 28,” Wichai said.
Their rice must be un-milled and of 15 per cent moisture or less, he said.
• Hom Mali rice from the Northeast is guaranteed Bt15,000 per tonne up to 14 tonnes per household.
• Hom Mali rice grown elsewhere is guaranteed Bt14,000 up to 16 tonnes.
• Round-shaped rice is guaranteed Bt10,000 up to 30 tonnes.
• Hom Pathum Thani rice is guaranteed Bt11,000 up to 25 tonnes.
• Glutinous rice is guaranteed Bt12,000 up to 16 tonnes.
“If farmers grow more than one type of rice, the combined quantity must not exceed the maximum limit for the type with the highest limit,” Wichai explained.
He said that the committee would announce reference prices on October 16 and meet every 15 days through October next year to consider possible revisions.
“The bank will transfer the compensation to farmers’ accounts directly within three days of the reference prices being announced,” he said. “Each candidate can receive the payment only once throughout the campaign.”

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