Rice-pledging scheme: Thai farmers driven to despair

[webfact]

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Farmers driven to despair
Mongkhonchaowarat Tangmangmee
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- INSTEAD OF benefiting farmers, the government's rice-pledging scheme has ironically driven some into hopelessness.

At least one committed suicide on Sunday apparently because the scheme has repeatedly postponed payments for his pledged rice in recent months, leaving him without money to support himself.

Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday, saying he was losing hope to keep on going. Samruay Palee, from the upper Central region, said yesterday that he was looking for someone to buy his farm machine.

"I have to borrow to cover daily expenses now. How can I keep this tractor, which requires instalment payments of Bt145,000 a year?" he said.

The rice-pledging scheme, one of Pheu Thai Party's populist policies, offered a generous sum of Bt15,000 per tonne of pledged rice, a rate much higher than what millers offer.

However, the programme has run up massive financial losses over the past few years.

The caretaker government is struggling to secure loans to continue funding it - though the problems began looming before the House was dissolved.

Some 1.4 million farmers are said to be owed money under the scheme.

This failure to pay farmers for rice submitted up to four months ago has resulted in protests in several places in the Northeast and Central regions over the past few weeks.

In Phitsanulok, some 100 farmers had rallied at Indochina Intersection for days.

Samruay, who was supposed to get Bt350,000 under the scheme months ago, is one of them. He said: "I used to think I would work in paddy fields like my parents for the rest of my life. My parents were able to sell rice to buy land and had their house built. But the government's rice-pledging scheme has made me think twice. My life is in trouble now."

Another farmer, Sairoong Nakwang, said she had to pawn almost all her utensils because the government kept delaying payment.

"I need money to support my children's education," she said. She had slept on the street to demand payment alongside other farmers for days. Her group is demanding that the government pay up by January 31. If their demand is not met, they will stage the rally.


-- The Nation 2014-01-29

[rucus7]

The rice pledging was kind of like getting a new tattoo, seemed like a good idea at the time.

[EyesWideOpen]

Trying to feel sorry for these farmers who voted for Thaksin and his clone, but am having a hard time doing

so. They voted for a liar who told them they would become rich, and now they are paying the price.....

[LucidLucifer]

"Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday....."

Okay, it's farm machinery, but you'd have thought he'd at least give it a bit of a clean if he was serious.....

Without wanting to belittle the farmers' plight, this is just staged sensational jounalism me thinks.

Edited January 28, 2014 by LucidLucifer

[trogers]

A simple mind sees only what is laid before it, and not where it will lead it into, much like a hunter using bait to catch live prey.

Do these farmers now realised they have been baited and trapped?

[kratiam]

"Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday....."

Okay, it's farm machinery, but you'd have thought he'd at least give it a bit of a clean if he was serious.....

Without wanting to belittle the farmers' plight, this is just staged sensational jounalism me thinks.

What a moron.......staged journalism.......have you ever been hard up through no fault of your own and having worked very hard in very demanding conditions....yours is one of the worst posts I have ever seen on TV and that is really saying something! Shame on you!

[NongKhaiKid]

Trying to feel sorry for these farmers who voted for Thaksin and his clone, but am having a hard time doing

so. They voted for a liar who told them they would become rich, and now they are paying the price.....

If something is too good to be true it usually is and it gets worse when you really want to believe it. With the Thais attitude to money it was an easy sell especially coming from someone who was already a hero.

[96tehtarp]

The conspiracy to sabotage the rice pledging scheme has been ongoing since its inception.

It was conceived as a money losing subsidized program from day one. It's a subsidy, and a popular one at that. It was intended to lose money.

Even the farmers know it needs to be reformed, and it will be. I also doubt that the Thai civil service has anyone qualified to administer a plan of this scheme's scale. What makes reform more difficult is political sabotage carried out by (self censorship here).

If Thailand can't even organize an election how can anyone expect them to run a scheme of the rice pledging plan's magnitude. Recall the flood a couple of years ago? They need better water resource managers as well.

I can't find a single G7 country that does not afford agricultural subsidies. They are constantly squabbling about them in the WTO and NAFTA. I think this is why Thailand can't offer an outright subsidy as the competing counties would cry foul to the WTO.

Elitists prefer corporate welfare for those "two big to fail". It's all money politics and in Thailand it is uniquely centred mostly around (self censorship here). Thailand isn't broke and isn't going broke any time soon.

This turmoil will continue until the sad day that the inevitable happens and the question of (self censorship here) is resolved, this because most of Thailand is owned by (self censorship here).

[Mosha]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

[thesetat2013]

Rucus7: It only seemed like a good idea because noone bothered to look at the details. Instead they saw baht signs in their head and quickly agreed. The gov offering more money than market value should have been incentive enough for people to be wary. As always in the past "if it looks or sounds too good to be true, it usually is too good to be true". Everyone is learning thiS lesson the hard way now

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[spirit47]

Trying to feel sorry for these farmers who voted for Thaksin and his clone, but am having a hard time doing

so. They voted for a liar who told them they would become rich, and now they are paying the price.....

Yes, thats real sad, remembers me to the thousans suicides in the India Monsanto case...The life of the poor is nothing for them.

[ChrisY1]

The downside for farmers here in Thailand that have not been paid, is that their farms will now be available for sale......another aspect of the scheme that is meant to keep the poor people poor....

Now the businessmen and politicians can move in, once again, and buy up more huge tracts of prime farm land for rent back to these same farmers.

The rice scheme has not only created enormous wealth for the already wealthy, but left taxpayers again to foot the bill.

Hopefully, the NACC will continue their corruption probes to the many politicians as they have stated......this of course remains to be seen.

The question that may be asked now is, was it all planned?...

[Mosha]

The downside for farmers here in Thailand that have not been paid, is that their farms will now be available for sale......another aspect of the scheme that is meant to keep the poor people poor....

Now the businessmen and politicians can move in, once again, and buy up more huge tracts of prime farm land for rent back to these same farmers.

The rice scheme has not only created enormous wealth for the already wealthy, but left taxpayers again to foot the bill.

Hopefully, the NACC will continue their corruption probes to the many politicians as they have stated......this of course remains to be seen.

The question that may be asked now is, was it all planned?...

If ir was, that's the greatest betrayal of all in the rice scam.

[noikrit]

I bet all the Farmers in the RED Shirt electoral strongholds have been paid ... The rest ... Well "We wheren't gonna get your vote anyway" .... SAD !!! ....

[kannot]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

Notice he said "dont" not "wont"

[djjamie]

"Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday....."

Okay, it's farm machinery, but you'd have thought he'd at least give it a bit of a clean if he was serious.....

Without wanting to belittle the farmers' plight, this is just staged sensational jounalism me thinks.

Probably can't afford the water bill or the cleaning chemicals.

I bet the warehouse owners have a clean BMW though.

[Spalpeen]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

[hansgruber]

Hopefully they learn from this. Don't sell your vote for 500 baht and promises.

[trogers]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

There is this 3rd choice called "No Vote".

[LuckyLew]

Keep up the great wok Thaksin your people still love you ... too bad you do not give a crap about them

[digibum]

Have to disagree. Part of the plan was to withhold this rice from the market, drive up global rice prices, and make a profit by selling into a higher market price. That was one of the selling points they touted.

Only, someone forgot that people can grow rice elsewhere and India and Vietnam stepped up production and kept global rice prices in check by providing a steady supply.

Yes, subsidies exist and had they set forth with a traditional subsidy program and managed it as a subsidy, they wouldn't be in the place they're in. The problem is that the entire program was poorly thought out and poorly executed.

Anybody who took Econ 101 could have seen this coming a mile away. And many economists around the world did see this coming and have been franticly warning Thailand to abandon the rice scheme.

I mean, this isn't rocket science.

The conspiracy to sabotage the rice pledging scheme has been ongoing since its inception.

It was conceived as a money losing subsidized program from day one. It's a subsidy, and a popular one at that. It was intended to lose money.

Even the farmers know it needs to be reformed, and it will be. I also doubt that the Thai civil service has anyone qualified to administer a plan of this scheme's scale. What makes reform more difficult is political sabotage carried out by (self censorship here).

If Thailand can't even organize an election how can anyone expect them to run a scheme of the rice pledging plan's magnitude. Recall the flood a couple of years ago? They need better water resource managers as well.

I can't find a single G7 country that does not afford agricultural subsidies. They are constantly squabbling about them in the WTO and NAFTA. I think this is why Thailand can't offer an outright subsidy as the competing counties would cry foul to the WTO.

Elitists prefer corporate welfare for those "two big to fail". It's all money politics and in Thailand it is uniquely centred mostly around (self censorship here). Thailand isn't broke and isn't going broke any time soon.

This turmoil will continue until the sad day that the inevitable happens and the question of (self censorship here) is resolved, this because most of Thailand is owned by (self censorship here).

[GAZZPA]

"Another farmer put his tractor up for sale yesterday....."

Okay, it's farm machinery, but you'd have thought he'd at least give it a bit of a clean if he was serious.....

Without wanting to belittle the farmers' plight, this is just staged sensational jounalism me thinks.

What is? The farmer selling his tractor? If this is what you mean then you are belittling their plight.

I feel very sad for these farmers, ok they voted in Thaksin regime but what farmer wouldn't take the offer of the government buying the rice at great prices, I think most people would agree to it.

Now the rice industry is on it's knees and from what I can see it is a very long way from being resolved. The stockpile is getting bigger, the farmers are not getting paid and at some time the government is going to have to pay back the Agriculture Bank,, the ones who will suffer are the farmers. Th government should be ashamed of itself for what it has done to these people.

[Tatsujin]

On BBC just now.

"I don't think I'll vote for them again, as I haven;t been paid (for my rice)."

.

So they can vote for the Democrats instead and see off the Shinawatra party. Oh no, hang on a second, the Democrats have given two fingers to democracy so the farmers don't have an alternative to vote for. Looks like its going to be the Shins again, thanks to the Democrats dereliction of duty.

Many former pro-Govt supporters I know will be voting for Chuvit and the Rak Pra Thed Thai party.

[animatic]

A Ponzi Scheme run by a government or by a fly-by-night con-man is still a Ponzi scheme,

and in all Ponzi Schemes someone always gets their ass bitten in the end.

[GAZZPA]

Have to disagree. Part of the plan was to withhold this rice from the market, drive up global rice prices, and make a profit by selling into a higher market price. That was one of the selling points they touted.

Only, someone forgot that people can grow rice elsewhere and India and Vietnam stepped up production and kept global rice prices in check by providing a steady supply.

Yes, subsidies exist and had they set forth with a traditional subsidy program and managed it as a subsidy, they wouldn't be in the place they're in. The problem is that the entire program was poorly thought out and poorly executed.

Anybody who took Econ 101 could have seen this coming a mile away. And many economists around the world did see this coming and have been franticly warning Thailand to abandon the rice scheme.

I mean, this isn't rocket science.

The conspiracy to sabotage the rice pledging scheme has been ongoing since its inception.

It was conceived as a money losing subsidized program from day one. It's a subsidy, and a popular one at that. It was intended to lose money.

Even the farmers know it needs to be reformed, and it will be. I also doubt that the Thai civil service has anyone qualified to administer a plan of this scheme's scale. What makes reform more difficult is political sabotage carried out by (self censorship here).

If Thailand can't even organize an election how can anyone expect them to run a scheme of the rice pledging plan's magnitude. Recall the flood a couple of years ago? They need better water resource managers as well.

I can't find a single G7 country that does not afford agricultural subsidies. They are constantly squabbling about them in the WTO and NAFTA. I think this is why Thailand can't offer an outright subsidy as the competing counties would cry foul to the WTO.

Elitists prefer corporate welfare for those "two big to fail". It's all money politics and in Thailand it is uniquely centred mostly around (self censorship here). Thailand isn't broke and isn't going broke any time soon.

This turmoil will continue until the sad day that the inevitable happens and the question of (self censorship here) is resolved, this because most of Thailand is owned by (self censorship here).

Agree with you, this was not a subsidy scheme. The reason why they didn't see or care about the inevitable failure of the scheme (even though everyone else could) I suspect is because the individuals responsible were jaded by their own personal financial gain. Had the scheme truly been for the peoples long term benefit no one with an ounce of common sense would have done this.

This is about lining pockets, someone has got rich, no doubt.

[Mosha]

Have to disagree. Part of the plan was to withhold this rice from the market, drive up global rice prices, and make a profit by selling into a higher market price. That was one of the selling points they touted.

Only, someone forgot that people can grow rice elsewhere and India and Vietnam stepped up production and kept global rice prices in check by providing a steady supply.

Yes, subsidies exist and had they set forth with a traditional subsidy program and managed it as a subsidy, they wouldn't be in the place they're in. The problem is that the entire program was poorly thought out and poorly executed.

Anybody who took Econ 101 could have seen this coming a mile away. And many economists around the world did see this coming and have been franticly warning Thailand to abandon the rice scheme.

I mean, this isn't rocket science.

The conspiracy to sabotage the rice pledging scheme has been ongoing since its inception.

It was conceived as a money losing subsidized program from day one. It's a subsidy, and a popular one at that. It was intended to lose money.

Even the farmers know it needs to be reformed, and it will be. I also doubt that the Thai civil service has anyone qualified to administer a plan of this scheme's scale. What makes reform more difficult is political sabotage carried out by (self censorship here).

If Thailand can't even organize an election how can anyone expect them to run a scheme of the rice pledging plan's magnitude. Recall the flood a couple of years ago? They need better water resource managers as well.

I can't find a single G7 country that does not afford agricultural subsidies. They are constantly squabbling about them in the WTO and NAFTA. I think this is why Thailand can't offer an outright subsidy as the competing counties would cry foul to the WTO.

Elitists prefer corporate welfare for those "two big to fail". It's all money politics and in Thailand it is uniquely centred mostly around (self censorship here). Thailand isn't broke and isn't going broke any time soon.

This turmoil will continue until the sad day that the inevitable happens and the question of (self censorship here) is resolved, this because most of Thailand is owned by (self censorship here).

When the crap started to hit the fan, 1 gut on here posted he had talked with his uncle about the problems. His uncle said

"It's Abhisit's fault, he let other countries grow rice."

Which just goes to show, you can't fix stupid.

[bangkokheat]

another classic case of governments stuffing up peoples lives, what would we ever do without them

[Fryslan boppe]

Poor guy needing to sell his tractor.....All because of the rice pledging thing......Really?....Are we sure of that?......Certainly is a heartfelt story against the Govt. as the Opposition likes to spin....Does this farmer have other financial woes not detailed here precipitating this thing?....It is a Govt. policy screwing him up?....."Is it just a stunt putting a 'for sale' sign on a new tractor?...


"The rice-pledging scheme, one of Pheu Thai Party's populist policies..."..

.Another shot at the policies of this Govt. consistently demonized by denigrating a political notion called 'Populism"

Populism defined: Policies for ordinary people....The significance of this is that the DP cannot hope to win on a national level until they propose serious policies which would benefit the majority of the electorate. But they have consistently opposed the universal health care system, the job creation policies, this rice support scheme and any infrastructural development projects. They reject state spending on the population and instead favour local patronage.

Instead of reforming themselves to reverse their unelectability resulting from these agenda's, they can only envision systemic changes....Electoral Democracy in other countries are filled with examples of a seemingly down-and-out political party resurrecting itself and winning national elections by reforming its' policies and leadership......It baffles me why the DP cannot fathom this....I can only attribute it to arrogant, holier-than-thou convictions of being the sole repository of political wisdom, and a dogma that the electorate must conform to their enlightened approach.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Fryslan boppe

[sam sen]

the scheme was also dreamed up as a way for those administering the scheme to get their cut...

[Siripon]

It was a stupid plan executed by Thaksin who claimed Thailand itself could drive up world rice prices.

Like his claim to solve Bangkok traffic jams in 3 months- an utter failure.