Palm Growers Protest Closes Highway In Tha Chana Chumphon

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Southern palm growers block highway to protest low prices

SURAT THANI, May 8 (TNA) – About 300 palm growers have blocked southern highway leading north to the capital in protest against a sharp drop in the price they realise for their palm fruit.

The palm growers of Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces paralysed Asian Highway route in Tha Chana district of Chumphon with about 100 trucks on Thursday, forcing passer-by motorists to take a detour to go further south or head towards the capital by other routes.

Numbers of palm growers from other southern provinces are feared to join the road-blocking protest.

The protesters demonstrated peacefully under the close watch of about 100 police officers and demanded that the authorities make oil palm processing factories buy their palm fruit for 4 to 5 baht per kilo, compared to the 2 to 3 baht per kilo they now receive.

The protesters also called on the authorities to discontinue importing palm fruit from any other country, a practice they said had prompted the steep drop in the prices of the local palm. (TNA)-E008

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