Cabinet okays price-guarantee scheme for rice farmers

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Cabinet okays price-guarantee scheme for rice farmers

By The Nation

 

 

In response to concerns over the drop in the price of jasmine rice due to export slowdown and limited tourism owing to the Covid-19 crisis, the Cabinet has given the go-ahead to a rice-guarantee scheme for farmers who will harvest their rice crop at the end of the rainy season.

 

Ratchada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokesperson, said on Tuesday that under the scheme, the price per tonne of rice will be guaranteed at Bt15,000 for jasmine, Bt14,000 for off-season jasmine, Bt10,000 for ordinary rice, Bt11,000 for Pathum Thani rice and Bt12,000 for sticky rice.

 

The Cabinet has also okayed schemes to motivate farmers, cooperatives, farming institutions as well as rice traders to stock up on rice to stabilise market prices.

 

The target is to stock up 7 million tonnes via projects such as:

 

• Delaying the sale of rice by paying a deposit of Bt1,500 per tonne with the target of 1.5 million tonnes.

 

• Getting farmers cooperatives to pay 1 per cent of loan interest to stock up rice. The aim is to collect 1.5 million tonnes.

 

• Compensating rice merchants 3 per cent of interest with the target of stocking 4 million tonnes.

Thai rice export in 2021

 

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry expects more rice to be produced this year thanks to a sufficient supply of water. This may bring the domestic price of rice down, after it has been high for the past year or two due to drought.

 

This reduction in price will also make it more competitive in the world market, and should result in higher exports next year. It is expected that bigger orders will come from Australia and African countries.

 

Ratchada also said the Rice Policy and Management Committee has approved the government’s 2021-2025 strategy, which focuses on the production of rice in line with the market demand. Thai rice is grouped into seven types based on the needs of three markets:

 

• Premium market, which consumes jasmine and Thai fragrant rice;

 

• The general market that consumes soft white, hard white and parboiled rice; and

 

• Specialised markets that consumes glutinous rice, coloured rice or rice with special features.

 

The committee said it wants to develop varieties that can compete with competitors in the world market so farmers earn more.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30397677

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-10

 

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[mark131v]

Mmm, fixing the price of a commodity, didn't Yingluck do something similar and get in all sorts of trouble...

[Donutz]

1 hour ago, mark131v said:

Mmm, fixing the price of a commodity, didn't Yingluck do something similar and get in all sorts of trouble...

This not very democratic government is kinda self destructive. But let's see which standards will be applied here (same or double).  

[cosmos-john]

lol the blatant hypocrisy of double standards is insulting but corruption fails itself when trying to appear fair.

[Srikcir]

Duplicity I would expect from a Mockracy.

Success is measured by political affiliation and not to respect to human rights.

[overherebc]

19 hours ago, mark131v said:

Mmm, fixing the price of a commodity, didn't Yingluck do something similar and get in all sorts of trouble...

But, that was different, really.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, mark131v said:

Mmm, fixing the price of a commodity, didn't Yingluck do something similar and get in all sorts of trouble...

Yeah,but you know they never learn.

[Burma Bill]

Well done Ma'am - your scheme is now being used by a "yellow" Government!!

 

[Andrew65]

In the EU & US the government subsidises farmers too. In fact in the EU it used to pay them to grow nothing.