Govt denies selling old-stock rubber, but will not take action to raise prices

By The Nation

 

 

Contrary to allegations by leading rubber farmers, the government has not instructed the Rubber Authority of Thailand to unload its old stockpile of third-grade rubber sheets onto the market, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said on Saturday.

 

Sansern said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been told by the Agriculture Ministry that it has no policy directing the rubber authority to sell rubber sheets from the stock that had accumulated prior to 2014.

 

The spokesman was responding to allegations by leading rubber farmers that the rubber prices had dropped due to government plans to dump the ageing stockpile of third-grade rubber sheets on the market.

 

Sansern said the government realised that selling the old stock would further reduce the already depressed rubber prices. 

“The prime minister would like the rubber farmers and society to have correct information, after it was rumoured that the third-grade rubber sheets would be sold from government stocks,” Sansern said.

 

He said General Prayut has concern for rubber farmers, who have seen prices drop to Bt43 to Bt45 per kilogram since the beginning of this year. However, he said, the government would not interfere with market prices by buying rubber sheets as it would require a lot of the state budget.

 

He quoted Prayut as saying that the government would instead provide career training for rubber farmers so that they would have alternative ways of earning their incomes.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30354031

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-09

Gimp's be warned your next body suit could be sub standard.

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

the Agriculture Ministry that it has no policy directing the rubber authority to sell rubber sheets from the stock that had accumulated prior to 2014.

That brings into question what the government will do about its stockpile of rubber sheets that it may have accumulated since 2015, ie., under Prayut's rubber buffer stock program.

 

Watch out for discounted tyre prices.

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

Watch out for discounted tyre prices.

You are vacuuming yet again, vacuous one. The tyre companies don't want Thai rubber because the Thai rubber farmers add sulphuric acid at the time of harvesting to make the rubber set faster. 

To quote from another source.

"Major tyremakers threaten to stop buying rubber from Thai farmers because of low quality from sulphuric acid added that reduces flexibility".

 

16 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Sansern said the government realised that selling the old stock would further reduce the already depressed rubber prices. 

Never mind Sanserm old chap, prices will 

Wonder how much money has been wasted storing 3 rd grade rubber

for at least 4 years,probably more than the rubber is worth.

regards worgeordie

15 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Watch out for discounted tyre prices.

Does'nt happen. It should but it never does.

One has to ask why tyre prices only ever increase, but never drop in price, when profit margins stay the same or increase. and the raw product is cheaper than ever?

13 hours ago, Cadbury said:

You are vacuuming yet again, vacuous one. The tyre companies don't want Thai rubber because the Thai rubber farmers add sulphuric acid at the time of harvesting to make the rubber set faster. 

To quote from another source.

"Major tyremakers threaten to stop buying rubber from Thai farmers because of low quality from sulphuric acid added that reduces flexibility".

 

Old wives tale.

Any old excuse to batter the price down further and increase profit.

When it did happen, and it doesn't anymore, it affected less than 1% of production at that time.

One has to ask, why the price is not more similar and std in the various producing nations? As an international traded commodity it should be a similar price everywhere. Yet Indian & Cambodian farmers get a much lower price than here which is similar to Malaysia and Vietnam, and the new Chinese farms get a much higher price?

Side note, most of the plantations in Laos are actually owned by Chinese and South Korean businesses, and most of the plantations in Cambodia are owned by the Chinese.

Price & market  manipulation? Bent middlemen? No, never.

Funny old world.

Vast amounts of rubber trees were planted all over SE asia 10-15 years ago, when the price was high. When i arrived in Thailand in 2010 i did some research as a possible crop - when i saw the level of new plantings i quickly ditched that idea.

Except a peak in STD infections and birth rate.

On 9/8/2018 at 11:04 PM, rooster59 said:

He quoted Prayut as saying that the government would instead provide career training for rubber farmers so that they would have alternative ways of earning their incomes.

 

Here you go Dr. Somchai, take this pair of latex exam gloves.