More Rice Procurement Points Planned

Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai revealed that the National Rice Policy Committee will find solutions to cope with falling rice prices.

Porntiva said the panel will be asked to increase the procurement points for rice and not impose a limit, and the Commerce Ministry will supervise the plan.

She explained her belief that the situation will improve because the proposed scheme will help reduce rice supplies from the market.

She said a request by the Thai Farmers Association, calling on the government to resume the pledging program for off-season paddy and raise the maximum rice pledge amount from 25 tons to 40 tons per farm household, will be proposed to the panel's meeting.

However, the government insists on carrying out the farm income guarantee project.

The trade minister said she has been informed about a group of businesspeople supporting farmers to demonstrate against the government's policies. She repeated that the government is urgently solving farmers' problems as the state's procurement points for rice are operating in 30 locations.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yanyong Phuangrach said the depreciation of the Vietnamese currency has caused global rice prices to come down and the prices of Vietnamese rice were lower than Thai rice by 100 US dollars per ton, or approximately 3,300 baht.

Furthermore, Thai farmers have experienced unsatisfying rice outputs due to pests while distributors downgraded the quality of rice by increasing the portion of imported rice from Vietnam and Cambodia into their products.

Source Thai Asean News Network