Cassava Prices - Corruption

[somo]

The goverment has stopped all price subsidies for cassava to amphur Thep Sathit in Chaiyaphum province due to corruption amongst the mills and officials.

As far as I can figure out the gov. quota was filled within days of being issued but as usual the poor farmer was not benefiting.

I think (not sure) that the mills were setting up phony middlemen as being farmers eligable for the subsidy paying the poor farmer 80 satang.kilo then the middleman would claim the subsidy on their behalf.

I know some farmers who have been ruined by this and my crop is staying in the ground until hopefully it gets sorted.

Luckily I don't depend on my cassava for a profit but really feel for those that do.

I have had to delay an order for 75 tons of chicken manure because of this and the supplier has been very understanding.

He suggested I look into selling the cassava direct to companies that make talcum powder as they pay a decent price and use a lot of it.

Anybody heard of this?

The transport costs would clearly be a factor but the better price may well outweigh them.

[ozzydom]

The goverment has stopped all price subsidies for cassava to amphur Thep Sathit in Chaiyaphum province due to corruption amongst the mills and officials.

As far as I can figure out the gov. quota was filled within days of being issued but as usual the poor farmer was not benefiting.

I think (not sure) that the mills were setting up phony middlemen as being farmers eligable for the subsidy paying the poor farmer 80 satang.kilo then the middleman would claim the subsidy on their behalf.

I know some farmers who have been ruined by this and my crop is staying in the ground until hopefully it gets sorted.

Luckily I don't depend on my cassava for a profit but really feel for those that do.

I have had to delay an order for 75 tons of chicken manure because of this and the supplier has been very understanding.

He suggested I look into selling the cassava direct to companies that make talcum powder as they pay a decent price and use a lot of it.

Anybody heard of this?

The transport costs would clearly be a factor but the better price may well outweigh them.

Happens with just about every crop here in LoS, Only when farmers organise Co-ops big enough to by-pass the middlemen will it improve , but then again ,getting Thais to work together is another story.

[somo]

I know what you mean ozzy.

The local farmers dis actual form a protest group which at least bought it to the attention of central gov. and they will now investigate and hopefully put a stop to the cheating. Meanwhile the delay just makes things even worse for the poor but hopefully next year they will get the full benefit if the subsidy is still available.

[Lickey]

Not really related to the OPs topic, but im sure poor returns/coruption have something to do with it,

Neighbours farm has near 2yo cassava, hes cut of all the sticks and sold or replanted elsewhere, that was about 3 weeks ago, the planted cassava is growing strongly again, about 1/2mtr high with good leaves ect, anybody know if this practise would interfere with the tuber growth?

Thanks for your opinions, Lickey..

[soidog2]

Not really related to the OPs topic, but im sure poor returns/coruption have something to do with it,

Neighbours farm has near 2yo cassava, hes cut of all the sticks and sold or replanted elsewhere, that was about 3 weeks ago, the planted cassava is growing strongly again, about 1/2mtr high with good leaves ect, anybody know if this practise would interfere with the tuber growth?

Thanks for your opinions, Lickey..

The tubers will continue growing just fine if:

No termites, perhaps some fertilizer (depends on the soil), good drainage so they will not rot in the field.

After two years, most mills will not take the tubers, will have to be sold at a lower price for animal feed.

Regards.

[somo]

Apparently it was on tv the the goverment has now cancelled all sudsidies throughout Thailand for both cassava and rice because of the corruption.

Hopefully they will introduce a new less corruptable and simpler system in its place but who knows

[Gary A]

The only thing you can count on is that the farmer IS going to get the short end of the stick. The government should be ashamed of itself. Corruption is widespread and obvious. The good old boy's network is that if you don't tell on me, I won't tell on you. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

[somo]

I was up in Chayapoum at the weekend and the ownwer of one of the mills involved in the corrruption threw a big party complete with stage show and dancing girls and free booze.

All the local villagers turned up and clapped his speach and thought him a jolly good fellow even though they were previously moaning about how he was ripping them off. A lot of them owe him money so he can order them to harvest their cassava whenever he wants then pays them less than one Baht/kilo whilst a mill about 5 miles away is paying 1.35/kilo..

I couldn't believe that they weren't booing him or at least boycotting his party.

It just shows easily important things are forgotten in favour of a party. TIT

[Gary A]

Wealthy people are respected here in the Kingdom. It doesn't matter how they got their money. I think Buddhism has a lot to do with it. People believe that a wealthy person deserves their wealth because they were VERY good people in a previous life and they now deserve to be wealthy regardless of how they got their money.