Chiang Rai farmers protest

CHIANG RAI: -- More than 1,000 farmers blocked main roads in this northern province Monday in protest against the falling price of their crop.

According to the protesters, middlemen had now agreed to buy the unmilled rice at just Bt9,600 per tonne. Last year, the price was at Bt10,000 per tonne.

"The cost of growing rice has risen. How can our crop get less money than before? Rice can be exported," Banyat Thongdeenok, 54, said.

He was among the protesters demanding that Chiang Rai Governor Traisit Limsomboonthong help raise the issue with Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan or relevant officials.

-- The Nation 2008-05-12

They've certainly got a legitimate gripe, but blocking traffic only inconveniences everyone. There should be a better way to protest than this.

I'm guessing that the middle man isn't losing nearly as much percentage-wise.

This is unbelievable seeing that the retail price of rice has increased dramatically.

Link

You would think the poor farmers would get a break with the doubling of the price of rice in the world market. I guess it is still business as usual. Drop the price of rice during the harvest season and jack it back up immediately after.

The protest didn't block much traffic, and goverment people told them repeatedly they'd solve the problem,

but we do remain in a feudal system in which farmers are just people with not-so-good previous lives...

(and the most corrupt, whom farmers are happy to give money to for 'karmic gain' or something,

obviously had 'good' previous lives...)

The protest didn't block much traffic, and goverment people told them repeatedly they'd solve the problem,

but we do remain in a feudal system in which farmers are just people with not-so-good previous lives...

(and the most corrupt, whom farmers are happy to give money to for 'karmic gain' or something,

obviously had 'good' previous lives...)

That is definitely one way of looking at it.

You would think that by now, farmers were more organized, had their own cooperative, milled and marketed their own rice, purchased farm inputs in a cooperative manner, owned their combine harvester, etc.

Chiang Rai farmers protest

CHIANG RAI: -- More than 1,000 farmers blocked main roads in this northern province Monday in protest against the falling price of their crop.

According to the protesters, middlemen had now agreed to buy the unmilled rice at just Bt9,600 per tonne. Last year, the price was at Bt10,000 per tonne.

"The cost of growing rice has risen. How can our crop get less money than before? Rice can be exported," Banyat Thongdeenok, 54, said.

He was among the protesters demanding that Chiang Rai Governor Traisit Limsomboonthong help raise the issue with Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan or relevant officials.

-- The Nation 2008-05-12

The protest didn't block much traffic, and goverment people told them repeatedly they'd solve the problem,

but we do remain in a feudal system in which farmers are just people with not-so-good previous lives...

(and the most corrupt, whom farmers are happy to give money to for 'karmic gain' or something,

obviously had 'good' previous lives...)

actually the main protest rally was today and it caused major delays to motorists.

The main highway from the Thoung juction was blocked and all traffic diverted, took me an extra hour to just drive through the town

Didn't they used to do that in the old Soviet Union?

Seriously though, the small farmers around here certainly seem to get together and help each other out at harvest time. Most have other jobs and they all take a week off and go round to each others crops and work together. The rising fuel prices have made using too much machinery prohibitively expensive and most of the harvest, including threshing, is done by hand locally.

You would think that by now, farmers were more organized, had their own cooperative, milled and marketed their own rice, purchased farm inputs in a cooperative manner, owned their combine harvester, etc.

Chiang Rai farmers protest

CHIANG RAI: -- More than 1,000 farmers blocked main roads in this northern province Monday in protest against the falling price of their crop.

According to the protesters, middlemen had now agreed to buy the unmilled rice at just Bt9,600 per tonne. Last year, the price was at Bt10,000 per tonne.

"The cost of growing rice has risen. How can our crop get less money than before? Rice can be exported," Banyat Thongdeenok, 54, said.

He was among the protesters demanding that Chiang Rai Governor Traisit Limsomboonthong help raise the issue with Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan or relevant officials.

-- The Nation 2008-05-12

Good thing I went home early yesterday afternoon. When through the barricade and completely ignored a civilian that was trying to redirect traffic coming from the direction of Big C going towards Mae Korn intersection to go behind Little Duck hotel using a little used soi right before the bridge.

Wove my way through parked Pick up trucks and was home no later than usual. Would have taken the road the by-passes Big C going to the Irrigation canal that connects with the Mae Korn - Hua Doi highway (going to Thoeng).

The protest didn't block much traffic, and goverment people told them repeatedly they'd solve the problem,

but we do remain in a feudal system in which farmers are just people with not-so-good previous lives...

(and the most corrupt, whom farmers are happy to give money to for 'karmic gain' or something,

obviously had 'good' previous lives...)

actually the main protest rally was today and it caused major delays to motorists.

The main highway from the Thoung juction was blocked and all traffic diverted, took me an extra hour to just drive through the town

Didn't realize that was due to a protest. Thought it was about construction!

The papers said the one by Overbrook below the "Sala Klang" had 1000 protesters,

but it didn't look like that many to me.

They certainly have a grievance,

but it is also certainly too bad they totally fail to organize.

maybe this is a beginning?

Amazingly, rice is now half the price in Burma (or was, before the disaster),

and also half the price up in the hills, where it used to be more expensive.

Occasionally we have bought from farmers in fields, saving much...

get the price they deserved, go go farmers