It'll take over 5 years to clear stockpiles: Thai rice exporter

[webfact]

RICE
It'll take over 5 years to clear stockpiles: exporter
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Kobsuk Iamsuri, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, lamented Monday that the government would have to spend more than five years to clear the stockpiles accumulated under the rice-pledging scheme.

She said that the government must stop building up stocks, while benefits to farmers should be maintained. To achieve this, the pledging process must be shortened.

The procedure right now is too big and complicated to handle, she said. Even a special unit could not thoroughly inspect over 1,000 rice mills involved in the project.

Rice exporters have attacked the scheme, saying that it encourages farmers to sell their rice to the government for the attractive price. Thai exporters also face hard time in selling rice, given the high pledging price.


-- The Nation 2013-12-16

[clockman]

Some truth at last, in this land of make believe!

[TVGerry]

Your tax dollars at work! Thanks PTP! We're glad you're here leading this country!

[jaidam]

That's if the weevils, mold, rats, birds and floods allow them the 5 years.

[Tatsujin]

That's my taxes being wasted/given away/stolen/thrown away/burnt/going rotten too . . . what dumb idiot thought up this stupid scheme?

[MobileContent]

Rice exporters and the Rice Mills have ribbed off the farmers for Thailand for as long I have been in this country which is now over 25 years.

Good that they too face this time some difficulties on making money.

[TVGerry]

That's my taxes being wasted/given away/stolen/thrown away/burnt/going rotten too . . . what dumb idiot thought up this stupid scheme?

Thaksin came up with this scheme of course!

And it's not dumb from their perspective. After all, it's as good as buying votes and some cronies got really rich from this scheme. PTP forever!

[Mosha]

That's my taxes being wasted/given away/stolen/thrown away/burnt/going rotten too . . . what dumb idiot thought up this stupid scheme?

Hint - He has a Montenegrin passport

[ratcatcher]

That's my taxes being wasted/given away/stolen/thrown away/burnt/going rotten too . . . what dumb idiot thought up this stupid scheme?

Hint - He has a Montenegrin passport

There is rice, rice wine and wine. Someone should have informed our man in Dubai that rice doesn't age that well.

However with some smart Thai marketing and appropriate labeling, maybe they can merchandise sacks of rice labelled as "Vintage Hom Mali, 2011 crop, grown in the lush fields of Thailand under the tropical sun.

After all if the Indians can do it, so can Thais.

[ginjag]

Any posts from pro government posters ???

[spirit47]

They should pay for this, because it was for vote-buying. And its high time for some agricultural reforms, include social plans...

[Nibbles48]

They certainly can't sustain this for another couple of years, that will make it a 10 year project to unload it all. They desperately need this 2 trillion, but looks that that bird has already flown.

So looks like it is bankruptcy on the books.

[Spare]

Thai rice mountain... same same EU butter mountain.

When Farang subsidies and stock pile, it is call food security.

When Thais subsidies and stock pile, it is call a waste of middle class tax payer money.

[JRSoul]

"She said that the government must stop building up stocks, while benefits to farmers should be maintained."

Great idea - keep the pledging price at B15000/ton, but don't buy any.

As the government tries to clear stock, they will keep the world price low for years to come. All the farmers who benefitted from this scam will now pay the price and end up nett losers, not to mention the hundreds of billions lost by the nation.

[djjamie]

That's if the weevils, mold, rats, birds and floods allow them the 5 years.

According to PTP logic we should be happy to eat rice with weevils in it. That means it is chemical free. Can't argue with idiots.

[ginjag]

Thai rice mountain... same same EU butter mountain.

When Farang subsidies and stock pile, it is call food security.

When Thais subsidies and stock pile, it is call a waste of middle class tax payer money.

Brilliant effort to cloud the subject, This is making Thailand near bankrupt, the rice is rotting and will rot more if nothing much is being done. Wheat -butter-normally are kept in favourable condition, YOUR lot are that stupid they are letting it rot. Vote catcher-short term only, and that is now past it's sell by date. (two meanings there)

Not middle class only but the poor people are not getting health /School/ infrastructure badly needed because of it.

[holeyman1]

If the rice rots etc, wouldn't that equate to fluctuating prices next year?

[Thait Spot]

Any posts from pro government posters ???

Hear no evil

See no evil

Are no weevils

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Old Man River]

And it's not dumb from their perspective. After all, it's as good as buying votes and some cronies got really rich from this scheme. PTP forever!

I am sure it would be more effective if they actually had the money to pay the farmers.

[plachon]

"She said that the government must stop building up stocks, while benefits to farmers should be maintained."

Great idea - keep the pledging price at B15000/ton, but don't buy any.

As the government tries to clear stock, they will keep the world price low for years to come. All the farmers who benefitted from this scam will now pay the price and end up nett losers, not to mention the hundreds of billions lost by the nation.

Well Europe had its wine lakes, butter and grain mountains,etc. from subsidies poured on farmers by the EC that has reportedly favoured the large, wealthier farmers over the smaller operators, so this is hardly an idea without precedent, but the difference in Thailand is that the scheme has always been associated with a single party (don't forget the Democrat Party had their variation on the rice subsidy scheme, dating back to the Samak govt) or in the present PT Party, more closely associated with a single Dubai demagogue, as a way to curry favour and votes from the rural masses.

I don't think it is the farmers so much who pay the price and end up nett losers (although they will lose in the end as a result of the policy), but the more direct losers are poor urbanite consumers, who end up paying more for rice as a result of this ill-conceived populist scheme. Again, ironically, these are the very people who appear to idolise Thaksin as their saviour and are more vocal amongst the Redshirt movement than their rural cousins, but seem not to realise how they are being shafted hard by the object of their devotion. In fact, subsidising the cost of rice in the marketplace for low income earners (rice coupons?) would be a far more egalitarian way of helping the poor than the present subsidy to producers, which inevitably gets creamed off by the buyers, middle-men and larger producers than end up in the pockets of the poorest in society.

Finally, I wonder if anyone can clarify how long rice grain stored in optimal conditions can be kept before deteriorating? From all accounts, the govt stockpiles are being kept in sub-optimal conditions and clearing the stockpile in "5 years" will not be an option, unless she means dust and rice husks on the floor?

[dru2]

Any posts from pro government posters ???

I wonder how many of the "mia daeng" gang in Isaan actually pay Thai taxes?

I have done so continually for more than 20 years, and I resent their being stolen by a clan who failed to pay 1 baht of tax on their billions of fraudulent transactions.

[thomash]

This is the huge elephant in the room that even with all the protesting going on in Bangkok no one is directly talking about because both political parties have their hands in the golden cookie jar!

[Siripon]

This is the huge elephant in the room that even with all the protesting going on in Bangkok no one is directly talking about because both political parties have their hands in the golden cookie jar!

Actually the rice mortgage scheme was the most important issue in the Democrats' censure motion last year.

It also played a prominent part in this year's too.

[indyuk]

Any posts from pro government posters ???

It has been suggested that the ultimate goal of the rice pledging project is related to Thailand's extensive knowledge, and some experience, in producing bio fuel. Rice among other agri-projects was included in government funded R&D projects. The initial conclusion of the research that Thailand could not grow enough bio feedstock without creating a shortage of cereals for human consumption. I spent my life working in the energy business and remain intensely interested to find out if these Thai R&D projects can ultimately succeed.

One bio feedstock based on farmed brushwood in Holland showed great promise but has not been put into production on a commercial scale.

[moe666]

This is the huge elephant in the room that even with all the protesting going on in Bangkok no one is directly talking about because both political parties have their hands in the golden cookie jar!

Do a bit of research the democrats scheme made direct payments to farmers the rice was still sold to the millers at market prices. What the PTP scam has also done is to destroy the local coops set up and in place for years.

[tominbkk]

I'd like to see all of this pledged rice in one big pile. Would be the tallest mountain in Thailand I think....

[kimamey]

Thai rice mountain... same same EU butter mountain.

When Farang subsidies and stock pile, it is call food security.

When Thais subsidies and stock pile, it is call a waste of middle class tax payer money.

Unfortunately some criticism of EU agricultural subsidies is justified but comparing it to the Thai rice pledging scheme isn't.

The Thai scheme pays above market price for rice. It's that simple. It gets more complicated when you look at who it's paid to and the political connections of those who own the warehouses that are used for storage.

The EU scheme is vastly different and has many aims. Some farmers are paid not to farm certain land for reasons such as allowing meadow flowers to grow thereby providing food for birds an insects. Farmers are given compensation fro not demolishing walls to make bigger more economical fields so as to keep the walls as habitat and shelter for various birds, insects and animals. It's also a way of making it financially viable to produce crops that are cheaper bought elsewhere so we don't become dependent on other countries.

[Thai at Heart]

Ironically, the way around this is to pay them NOT to gro

[kimamey]

Ironically, the way around this is to pay them NOT to gro

Actually I think that's like the EU set aside subsidy which is intended to cut surpluses although I think it may be phased out. Not sure it would work here though. What about all those warehouses built to hold the rice. Somebody could lose out big time.

Edited December 16, 2013 by kimamey

[ginjag]

Ironically, the way around this is to pay them NOT to gro

Ha ha, but the same as Europe farmers were paid not to breed pigs, but If I remember right a farmer said I will not breed 10 thousand pigs then I am nearly sure this happened or something similar.