Thaksin Approves Cows For Poor Families Project

[george]

PM approves cows for poor families project

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has approved in principle a project to distribute cows to a million poor farmer families. Each of the families will receive two cows over the next three years. Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday that Mr Thaksin had approved the project and her deputy Adisorn Piengkes would be in charge of distribution.

Khunying Sudarat said that in the first year of distribution the ministry will buy calves and distribute them to farmers straight away. Later it will buy cows and officials will arrange for their insemination and distribute their calves to farmers.

The ministry will organise national and provincial committees of livestock officials and academics to determine the cow purchase specifications.

The distribution will begin in November and extend to 250,000 families in the first year, 350,000 more families in the second year and 400,000 in the third. In the first year of distribution, each family will receive a cow, but will eventually obtain two.

The ministry will train 8,000 cattle veterinarians to help farmers treat the cows. Local people will be recruited and trained. There will be 2,500 such veterinarians in the first year of the project.

Khunying Sudarat has promised transparency in the cow distribution project.

--Bangkok Post 2005-10-01

[mumbojumbo]

I hope the free cows are alive, unlike the free rubber trees distributed earlier

[simon43]

Khunying Sudarat has promised transparency in the cow distribution project

[unquote]

I know this sentence is not particularly funny, but I almost wet myself laughing when I read it :)

[mouse]

WOW! finally the HUB OF cow paddies!

And exactly how will this help to eradicate poverty? After all if you are poor and have trouble feeding the family, due to the high price of whiskey, how can you possibly find enough moeny to feed these beasts?

[awarrumbungle]

You guys could also discuss the merits of such an idea.

Here's an idea, agree with it, run with, think about why it would work, then after you've done this disagree withit , trash it, rubbish it.

There's two sides to every coin.

I'll start.

Recieving cows is better than money. Money is easily wasted especially when freely given without any need for repayment. (the Grameen Bank lend money to the woman not the man- they tend to be more responsible and less of a risk)

Let's keep the positive hat on for a few more posts please...

Edited October 3, 2005 by awarrumbungle

[Sandstone Art]

So, I guess the prices for milk and steak will be so cheap within the next 3 years?

Wonder what will be the cost of a BIG MC ?

[Heng]

Surely there's a solution somewhere; at least they keep trying. A blanket "just give them education" solution is not really a solution. There's free education in every single ghetto in America, but what % use it as a springboard to better their lives and neighborhood? It's the same in Issan, the problem is that they don't correlate excellence in education with future success.

Will certainly do them more good than giving them cash (instant motorcycles and whisky) though. OTOP was hoping for a little too much from many tambons where the majority of people can't calculate profit and loss. At least you can milk cows. At the worst you can eat them. Hopefully there will be a few creative souls that will do more.

[awarrumbungle]

For poverty reduction google: 'Grameen Bank' 'social entrepeneur'

[Diablo Bob]

Actually quite cheap ........ assuming they go to rural areas and not city dwellers.

You wake up, you walk them out to the fields, they eat grass, you take them home.

[Heng]

Interesting stuff. It would be nice to see the really large banks do some of this (anywhere in the world really, not just in the LOS).

[awarrumbungle]

I'm currently reading his autobiography (Muhummad Yunus - Banker to the poor) brilliant idea anc concept that is actually working. I think it is working in numerous conutries around the world. He writes that they have had numerous fights with the world bank.

[MyNameIsFarang]

High time that someone put the moo back in moo-baan.

[Khutan]

What I wonder constitutes poor ?

[awarrumbungle]

There's numerous definitions.

Whats interesting within the definitions though is there is a different 'poor' for developed countries to 'poor' for developing counties.

When you asked what is poor, what country were you referring to?

less than $1 a day is usually considered quite poor.

[RamdomChances]

What I wonder constitutes poor ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well there was a big stink a while back about this project. Apparently "poor" we're the ones that had enough money to give a "tip' to the officials who were responsible for giving the cows out.

They are beef cows not milkers and I think you have to apply for them. The idea is a sort of beef bank, where the gov gives out the cows and then will buy them back at a later date, paying the differance in weight gain.

RC

[mai_reuh]

cow tipping anyone ?

Edited October 3, 2005 by mai_reuh

[Rinrada]

out.

They are beef cows not milkers and I think you have to apply for them. The idea is a sort of beef bank, where the gov gives out the cows and then will buy them back at a later date, paying the differance in weight gain.

RC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do the cows know that?

.still think its a good idea

[OZONE]

Khunying Sudarat has promised transparency in the cow distribution project

[unquote]I know this sentence is not particularly funny, but I almost wet myself laughing when I read it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry to do this to you but you must know its coming.

"If you wet yourself around the cows, it could help the Thai gov't on paying for artificial insemination".

Sorry heheh... i just had to do it

[jrincon17]

WOW! finally the HUB OF cow paddies!

And exactly how will this help to eradicate poverty?  After all if you are poor and have trouble feeding the family, due to the high price of whiskey, how can you possibly find enough moeny to feed these beasts?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well there will be so many sick cows now the girls will distribute the money to even more family's