Free Cow For Every Farmer: Thaksin

[george]

Free cow for every farmer: Thaksin

BANGKOK: -- Call it beef-barrelling. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has bucked his Thai Rak Thai party into election mode with a shower of promises capped by a pledge to hand out cows to the nation's farmers.

Centring his re-election strategy firmly on those Thais who shot him to power almost four years ago, Mr Thaksin hopes that his free calves will moo down the opposition Democrats in poor rural communities in the election due early next year.

Technically, the free cows are not free. Instead, Mr Thaksin, according to his spokesman Jakapob Penkair, plans to set up a kind of animal bank where farmers can borrow a calf and return it – fattened up – some years later.

"They would return the capital, as well as interest, in the same manner in which they borrowed – as a cow," Mr Jakapob said. "Any difference in weight will be given to the farmer in cash."

Mr Jakapob said the scheme, which has been inexplicably named the Special Purposes Vehicle, will be extended to pigs, chicken, goats and any other livestock, and might ultimately see farmers cashing in their animals for other rural resources, such as agricultural machinery.

But pesky details, such as how much it will cost, not to mention failsafe mechanisms to ensure farmers don't switch their cows with fatter counterparts to increase their profits, have not yet been finalised.

Mr Jakapob said he expected details would be unveiled gradually, as Mr Thaksin embarks on a campaign stampede through the country.

Also on tour is his newly-announced poverty relief caravan, a group of technicians who will meet every Thai family and advise them how to increase their wealth.

An opinion poll released yesterday suggested Mr Thaksin, who has reeled from the effects of bird flu and religious violence in the south this year, is unlikely to meet his personal target of 400 out of 500 parliamentary seats, but will comfortably win the election, largely due to his overwhelming popularity with farmers.

Other pledges will extend the immensely popular health scheme and introduce tax breaks to Thais who care for their ailing parents.

But it is the cows who are likely to round up the most votes. Mr Jakapob said the idea came from Mr Thaksin's tour of the southern provinces. On a trip to discuss the violent uprising, villagers instead told the Prime Minister: "If you want to help us, buy us cows."

Some of the new rural currency could come from Australia, under a recent but controversial proposal to import 1 million cows to increase the breeding stock of Thailand's 6 million cattle.

That idea seems to have stalled, partly because of local opposition and also because of supply shortages in Australia. Cattle Council executive director Brett de Hayr said the drought and other conditions meant quality Aussie cows were now worth their weight in gold.

But that might just beef up the appeal to Thai farmers.

--news.com.au

[Totster]

This bloke has got a thing about animals... chickens for this... cows for that..!!

totster

[sriracha john]

Think of all the paperwork to issue work permits to a million farang cows.

[stroll]

At the same time, a group of expats known as the TVFT (TV-for-Thailand) are preparing an Alterative Special Purposes Vehicle campaign. Every voter who will provide proof of having voted for a candidate not belonging to the TRT party, will be presented with a free basket of locally produced fruits and vegetables during a special event to take place at Sanam Luang after the elections.

Pm me for details.

[thaiwing]

Thats a lot of cow shit....what about the bull shit..

The pm had his troop at my location yesterday....500bht for coming in your car to listen to us from the TRT (they called it..Petrol Expenses)...George and kerry are doing it wrong.

[siamruby]

This 's gone to show that the political campaign has started Funny that many years ago they used to use salted fish to bribe the villagers, now it s getting bigger by using cows

[stroll]

Did they have to return the salted fish after two years as well?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Did they have to return the salted fish after two years as well?

The salted fish were traded in on an Elite Card after the 2 years fattening period.

[ovenman]

I do believe this proposal one-ups the proverbial "chicken in every pot". Seriously though, doesn't this border on a blatant attempt at vote-buying?

[sriracha john]

I do believe this proposal one-ups the proverbial "chicken in every pot".  Seriously though, doesn't this border on a blatant attempt at vote-buying?

No "bordering" about it. Right up there with the other blatant vote-buying tactics such as debt forgiveness, land redistribution, cheap computers, et al ad nauseum. If all else fails, there's always just plain old cash on election day.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I do believe this proposal one-ups the proverbial "chicken in every pot".  Seriously though, doesn't this border on a blatant attempt at vote-buying?

No "bordering" about it. Right up there with the other blatant vote-buying tactics such as debt forgiveness, land redistribution, cheap computers, et al ad nauseum. If all else fails, there's always just plain old cash on election day.

It all gives a bit of meaning to cash and carry.

[Doi Thong]

It's a nonsense...how stupid voters should be to bring this man to power again..and financial part of this? Can you imagine how much it will cost Thailand, to give "free" cows? I believe this idea will die, even before the election, like all the others "great shchemes".

[plachon]

This one will be "moo-sic" to the ears of the 65 % of voters, still living off the land. Notice, it'll apply to chickens as well...........no prizes for guessing which friendly neighbourhood company will be given the contract for supplying them. And if in the meantime, they all die from bird flu, I know a man who knows a man who'll give the punters a good deal on frozen chicken ( and throw in a voucher for KFC if you vote for TRT).

[RamdomChances]

I've been thinking about this and trying to work the angles out, not just from a "buying votes" perspective.

I think plachon may have the right idea.

Ok if the gov goes through with this it has to find millions of calfs to give to the farmers. You cant just make some more there is only a finite supply in the country(and people already own them), so lets say they import them. They then have to distribute them track who has what, what weight the cows were ext, probably until the cow is somewhere between 18 months and 2 1/2 years old.

I dont think it has the infrastructure to do this, so it is likley to turn to a large Agro company, this agro company already has experiance of "meat banks" because it runs most of the chicken and pig farming in thailand allong the same grounds, i.e it gives the chickens and pigs to the farmer(they dont own them) and then buy's them back and pay the farmer the difference in weight.

Ok the farmer must take all the risk, employ staff, build the farms ect oh and has to buy their food from said Aggro company, great for the aggro company, they dont have to invest in infrestructure, staff ect and have a ready market for their animal food.

Of course if there is a major problem like bird flu the aggro company can just pull out leaving the farms with empty buildings and bank loans, but that does leave the friendly aggro company with a bit of a problem. Half its market has now gone down the shoot. Well if it can work with chickens and pigs why not cows.

So maybe they have a little chat with the goverment, you scratch my back I'll scratch yours and next thing you know they may be the biggest beef producers in thailand as well.

I just hope they dont get into dairy at least we still have a choice who we buy food from.

[ovenman]

I dont think it has the infrastructure to do this, so it is likley to turn to a large Agro company, this agro company already has experiance of  "meat banks" because it runs most of the chicken and pig farming in thailand allong the same grounds, i.e it gives the chickens and pigs to the farmer(they dont own them) and then buy's them back and pay the farmer the difference in weight.

Not to worry, I'm sure Mr. Big's good ol' buddies at CP Group will figure a way to turn a profit off of this idea.

[LAW PHOO CHAAI]

RC, what are the chances this plan will bring the onset of mad cow disease?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I dont think it has the infrastructure to do this, so it is likley to turn to a large Agro company, this agro company already has experiance of  "meat banks" because it runs most of the chicken and pig farming in thailand allong the same grounds, i.e it gives the chickens and pigs to the farmer(they dont own them) and then buy's them back and pay the farmer the difference in weight.

Not to worry, I'm sure Mr. Big's good ol' buddies at CP Group will figure a way to turn a profit off of this idea.

Ain't that the truth.

[RamdomChances]

I dont think it has the infrastructure to do this, so it is likley to turn to a large Agro company, this agro company already has experiance of  "meat banks" because it runs most of the chicken and pig farming in thailand allong the same grounds, i.e it gives the chickens and pigs to the farmer(they dont own them) and then buy's them back and pay the farmer the difference in weight.

Not to worry, I'm sure Mr. Big's good ol' buddies at CP Group will figure a way to turn a profit off of this idea.

Ain't that the truth.

Well I was trying to avoid naming names but I'm glad you made the connection.

Law Poo Chai

I dont think the two are really connected, but not an expert on it as far as i'm aware comercialy avalible cow food (in thailand) does'nt have animal bye products in it but uses vegetable protien.