200 Baht Per Rai

[Zeid]

I was looking At the bangkok post and found the following article

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/20May2008_biz26.php

I think that is not a bad idea, to prevent people from converting their rice, food farms to generate more bio-fuels. I feel it is a step in the right direction. as long as it does not come on the account of old jungle trees, and rainforests

does anyone have a clue where those lands will be?

and if you stay on the land for so many years will it be given to the farmers?

[dingdongrb]

I was looking At the bangkok post and found the following article

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/20May2008_biz26.php

I think that is not a bad idea, to prevent people from converting their rice, food farms to generate more bio-fuels. I feel it is a step in the right direction. as long as it does not come on the account of old jungle trees, and rainforests

does anyone have a clue where those lands will be?

and if you stay on the land for so many years will it be given to the farmers?

If I read it correctly it was 20 baht per rai.....but in plots of over 1000 rai each....

[Zeid]

yes perfect for a price of a motor bike you get 2000rai

[PaddyThai]

If this project goes ahead I see too effects;

1. Those landowners who rent out their land to others to farm will have to drop their rent to match Govt. project or not have any tenants.

2. Those growing food on more expensive land may not be able to compete with those growing on this cheaper land. Ie. if I have bought land for 40,000 baht per rai I need to make that money back.

[lannarebirth]

It's a proposed land grab by the rich, no matter how it's presented.

[slapout]

I read an article that said the proposal was for 15 rai to lease for 3 years at 20 baht per rai per year. If its for the poor farmers as was stated, a 1000 rai would be too large for the average Thai farmer to even consider. lannarebirth probably has the correct thoughts when its all said and done.

[Cuban]

Bangkok Post links only valid for the one day then they die....

[Khonwan]

Bangkok Post links only valid for the one day then they die....

Farmers may get cheap land

WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI

Cabinet ministers today will debate a plan to rent out more than two million rai of public land to farmers at annual rates as low as 20 baht per rai.

The Treasury Department, which oversees 12.5 million rai of public land for the government, estimates that up to four to five million rai of land is available in plots of over 1,000 rai each.

While some of the land plots are currently under the control of state agencies or the armed forces, and other locations are being used illegally by squatters, officials estimate that at least two million rai could be tapped for the land rental scheme.

The Treasury Department wants to restrict the programme to large land plots to help reduce potential infrastructure costs and increase efficiency in land development for large-scale plantations.

The programme envisions offering plots of up to 15 rai each to low-income households at leases of just 20 baht per rai per year. Leases would be set for three-year terms.

Land offered under the programme can only be used for farming purposes, ideally for planting alternative-energy crops such as sugarcane, palm or cassava to help meet rising demand for ethanol in the future.

At the same time, the programme follows an ongoing policy by the Treasury Department to increase commercial and economic benefits from public lands and reclaim unused properties allocated to state agencies for redistribution.

From 2006 to 2007, the Treasury Department negotiated the return of 266,000 rai of land from state agencies for redevelopment, and hopes to reclaim another 612,000 rai nationwide by 2011.

---------------------------------------

BANGKOK: -- The Treasury Department will lease 200,000 rai of land to farmers for rice and biofuel-crop production in a bid to increase supply and ease price pressures, Deputy Finance Minister Ranongrak Suwan-chawee said this week.

She said by 2011, the department would lease 1 million rai to farmers, who will only have to pay Bt20 per rai annually for a three-year contract.

The department will consult with the Agriculture Ministry on the list of farmers eligible for the leases and the amount of land they can have. Previously, the department granted each farming family a maximum of 15 rai.

Farmers in Udon Thani are expected to be the first group to benefit from the government policy, she said, as state agencies have handed over land in the provinces to the department.

Most of the land is concentrated in five provinces: Kan-chanaburi, Nakhon Ratcha-sima, Surat Thani, Kalasin and Ratchaburi.

"We have to seek cooperation from other ministries in regaining the land," she said, adding much Treasury land is occupied by other state agencies.

Of 12.5 million rai, about 1 million rai has not been fully utilised and is earmarked for the leasing scheme.

--The Nation 2008-05-02

[Gary A]

Most of the government schemes have ulterior motives. I would guess that it is a way to wrest land from squatters who have been occupying and farming that land for generations. Apparently the law is quite vague regarding squatter's rights and the rich need a way to get the poor off that land. Just call me cynical but what sounds like a good idea from the government rarely is.

[Ubon9]

Can any body explain since I'm not from an english speaking country:

The Treasury Department, which oversees 12.5 million rai of public land for the government, estimates that up to four to five million rai of land is available in plots of over 1,000 rai each.

The programme envisions offering plots of up to 15 rai each to low-income households at leases of just 20 baht per rai per year. Leases would be set for three-year terms.

[Khonwan]

Most of the government schemes have ulterior motives. I would guess that it is a way to wrest land from squatters who have been occupying and farming that land for generations. Apparently the law is quite vague regarding squatter's rights and the rich need a way to get the poor off that land. Just call me cynical but what sounds like a good idea from the government rarely is.

I don’t think so. Most public land that was squatted on years ago already has tax paid on it by those farming it. The tax is very little (only around 3-4 baht per rai per year) but it establishes a person’s usage of the land and is useful when the land title is upgraded.

The fact that leases are to be set for 3 years (rather than indefinite) may prevent purchase by wealthy land-grabbers.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

Can any body explain since I'm not from an english speaking country:

The Treasury Department, which oversees 12.5 million rai of public land for the government, estimates that up to four to five million rai of land is available in plots of over 1,000 rai each.

The programme envisions offering plots of up to 15 rai each to low-income households at leases of just 20 baht per rai per year. Leases would be set for three-year terms.

I presume it means that the Treasury Dept is identifying only contiguous plots of public land that are at least 1,000 rai. These plots are then to be sub-divided into plots of 15 rai.

Rgds

Khonwan

[SAP]

Can any body explain since I'm not from an english speaking country:

The Treasury Department, which oversees 12.5 million rai of public land for the government, estimates that up to four to five million rai of land is available in plots of over 1,000 rai each.

The programme envisions offering plots of up to 15 rai each to low-income households at leases of just 20 baht per rai per year. Leases would be set for three-year terms.

I presume it means that the Treasury Dept is identifying only contiguous plots of public land that are at least 1,000 rai. These plots are then to be sub-divided into plots of 15 rai.

Rgds

Khonwan

In the article it mentions it's mainly for crops for Fuel Production. My Cynical side says it has been instigated by some of the bigger companies so they can get large area's for sugarcane and Cassava. Then trying to promote that it is to help the farmers the 260,000 rai is near 17,000 15 rai contracts, alot paper work, the 12.5m rai is 833,333 15 rai plots. Need to grow Eucalptus just for the paperwork involved.

[Zeid]

I have at agree with SAP,

this is to make the bigger companies even bigger, and again from previous forums about cassava in three years a person can generate a great big profit. but will also drop the pricing down for the small farmers forcing them i guess in directly to start growing food again.

should an economist be speaking or drawing graphs you will have the supply and demand graphins jumping right and left up and down.

I feel it this step is good to get the people to plant rice and food again. and with the price or rice going up, the farmers will get more money than before. and the drop in cassava ricing will not make this choice hard for them to convert back to farming food.

yes, it is more focused on the big boys to become bigger, but if we can rent some in the names of our wives, or who ever you trust in some cases not your wives, (this remark is placed for all the people that know themselves and their comments), we will be able to make profit as well as let the families around us enjoy better incomes, by generating work, when there is no work in the fields.

in my language we have a saying, bet in many languages as well, that says a sword with to sharp sides.