Thai panel opts to double rubber subsidy

[webfact]

PROTEST
Panel opts to double rubber subsidy
The Nation



Kittirat says the move will be for seven months to aid the production

BANGKOK: -- The National Rubber Policy Committee has decided to double the subsidy for rubber growers from Bt1,260 per rai to Bt2,520/rai for seven months, from September 2013 to March 2014, said Deputy PM and and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong announced yesterday.

As the panel's chairman, Kittiratt said the new rate would be provided for up to 25 rai per case. The proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet today. He said the new rate would hike the budget for subsidy from Bt10.644 billion to Bt21.209 billion, adding that this assistance was on the principle of helping the farmers' production and not as an intervention in the para-rubber market mechanism. The price of rubber currently is Bt78/kilo.

Earlier yesterday, Deputy PM Pol General Pracha Promnog insisted that the government was committed to the previously agreed price of Bt90/kg for ribbed smoked sheets and said the policy committee would consider other measures for growers affected by the slumping prices.

Although most rubber growers were reportedly satisfied with the Bt90/kg price and ended their protests, farmers in Songkhla have threatened to close the Sadao border checkpoint and the Songkhla deep-sea port on September 14, demanding that the government either agree bring the price up to Bt95/kg or offer an additional Bt1,260/rai fertiliser subsidy. Growers in Nakhon Si Thammarat and some farmers from Surat Thani are reportedly eyeing protests on September 14 to demand a price of Bt100/kg.

Pracha said the committee to tackle the para-rubber problem had previously talked with 40-50 rubber growers, all of whom had agreed to the Bt90/kg price. He said this agreement was the majority's clear conclusion hence the government would stick with it, while the rubber policy committee would consider 4-5 aid measures, including the Bt1,260 per rai fertiliser subsidy. He said the threat to close key sites could inconvenience the public hence the farmers should send their requests to the committee.

Pracha said he would inform provincial governors of the 14 affected southern provinces, of the policy so they could explain details to the farmers.

Yet, Songkhla rubber farmers' representative Kajbundit Rammak said the protesters would close the Sadao border checkpoint and the Songkhla deep-sea port on September 14 if their demands were not met. He said many farmers who had previously agreed to the Bt90/kg offer but turned away after learning that the government wouldn't directly buy the rubber sheets at Bt90/kg, but would "help and compensate in other ways so rubber sheets could be sold at Bt90/kilo". The protesters will be meeting in Bangkok today to decide on their next move.

Meanwhile, Trang Industry Council chairman Withee Supitak, also a Woodwork Group Co executive, urged the government to resolve the problem because para-rubber business operators didn't want protester to block roads or ports

In related news, deputy national police chief Pol General Ek Angsananon went to Prachuap Khiri Khan yesterday to follow the police probe into the protesters who blocked/burned the Phetchkasem Highway and damaged cars in Bang Saphan district last week. He wants the probe to be concluded in 30 days. Police have issued arrest warrants for 10 people so far.


-- The Nation 2013-09-10

[Thai at Heart]

The wheels are really coming off now.

[Thait Spot]

The wheels are really coming off now.

Is this the Thai Airways thread?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MYKTHEMIN]

Sounds good to me

[waza]

"Buying time", by "Kicking the can down the road". However, one day "the chickens will come home to roost" and they will have to "pay the piper".

[johnnie20110]

Doubling their offer now so soon shows just how utterly insincere their initial offer from Yingluck's Cabinet was.

Congratulations to the persistent rubber farmers,

[jaltsc]

That was the first thing I was told before visiting Thailand...."Always wear double rubbers. Just to be safe".

[tingtong]

Is this the Thailand so proud of there history being FREE?

The FREE MARKET is murdered here, almost daily!

[Countryman]

Just knew the Government would back down,they always do,

sets a bad precedent,who s next the Garlic growers,carrot

farmers,all this giving,giving is not going to have a good ending.

relax Countryman

[Nickymaster]

Whhaaao, they have a budget of Bt21 billion for the rubber farmers and Yingluck said last week that she hoped for understanding from the public because it was "the best this government could do under the current economic situation"

Meanwhile in the real world....

BANGKOK, 3 September 2013

Cabinet approves 270 billion baht for this year's rice pledging scheme

[SSSlongtime]

cleared the jungle ,every where to plant rubber ,now the farmers are not happy with the price ,let them return to growing food ,or true farming

[ggold]

An interesting piece in another newspaper said it was one of Kittiratt Na-Ranong's ancestors that actually introduced the rubber tree to Thailand from Malaya in the early 1900's.

[ggold]

Is this the Thailand so proud of there history being FREE?

The FREE MARKET is murdered here, almost daily!

lets hope the baht gets murdered as well! how long before it gets weaker, say 60-65 the £.

[Soutpeel]

Is this the Thailand so proud of there history being FREE?

The FREE MARKET is murdered here, almost daily!

lets hope the baht gets murdered as well! how long before it gets weaker, say 60-65 the £.

Dream on....your pension money is screwed old boy

[johnnie20110]

Just knew the Government would back down,they always do,

who s next the Garlic growers,carrot farmers

The corn farmers

The government pay rice farmers 40% over the market price.

Please do the same for the rubber planters.

And also the corn farmers.

Heck, it would be good if they were just to break even.

In lieu of which, they, too, are ready to protest against this government:

29 August 2013 (NNT)

http://61.19.244.31/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5608290010003

Meanwhile, around 1,000 corn farmers in Phayao province are looking to stage a demonstration today in a bid to request additional assistance from provincial bodies in the wake of plummeting corn prices.

Currently, corn is being purchased at 4.50 baht per kilogram, which is well below the break-even price of 7 baht.

[Bagwan]

Is this the Thailand so proud of there history being FREE?

The FREE MARKET is murdered here, almost daily!

lets hope the baht gets murdered as well! how long before it gets weaker, say 60-65 the £.

Dream on....your pension money is screwed old boy

Well the exchange rate has risen 10% in the past couple of weeks and the UK economy has started to recover. However back to the days of 72 to the pound sterling seems to be wishful thinking.

[billd766]

Is this the Thailand so proud of there history being FREE?

The FREE MARKET is murdered here, almost daily!

lets hope the baht gets murdered as well! how long before it gets weaker, say 60-65 the £.

Dream on....your pension money is screwed old boy

Well the exchange rate has risen 10% in the past couple of weeks and the UK economy has started to recover. However back to the days of 72 to the pound sterling seems to be wishful thinking.

I wish, I wish. Not sure about the thinking part though.

[slapout]

The rubber should probably be referred to as a land title payment, where rubber trees are growing. The rice payments have the same type of preferred individuals also, as had virtually every program this government and its forerunners have sponsered.

This does not appear to give relief to the farmers who are most in need, its lip service to tell the people what good they are going to do, and the end result will be more hot air.

[Mosha]

The rubber should probably be referred to as a land title payment, where rubber trees are growing. The rice payments have the same type of preferred individuals also, as had virtually every program this government and its forerunners have sponsered.

This does not appear to give relief to the farmers who are most in need, its lip service to tell the people what good they are going to do, and the end result will be more hot air.

This is going to end in trouble. The wife's trees are on Tor bor 5. no chance of chanote. I have to be part mountain goat to get to them. I've tried to explain to her, now butting out,