Thai rice not being dumped: trade chief

[webfact]

Thailand denies dumping rice in Indonesian market
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 22 – The Thai Commerce Ministry has categorically denied a report that Thailand has dumped rice on the Indonesian market at cut-rate prices.

Surasak Riangkrul, Foreign Trade Department director general, said Thailand has never sold rice to Indonesia at lower prices.

He was referring to a statement by his Indonesian counterpart Bachrul Chairi who said there was an indication that Thai rice suppliers dumped rice exports in Indonesia, but he did not provide details of volumes or companies.

Mr Surasak stood firm that Thailand has never sold rice at low prices to Indonesia in the last few years, adding that the allegations were aimed at tarnishing the reputations of the Thai government and Commerce Ministry.

Some countries have reportedly threatened to file charges with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Thailand’s market dumping.

Mr Surasak said they had the right to do so but he doubted they had any concrete evidence to press charges.

The Foreign Trade Department is ready to compile information and evidence to clarify to the WTO, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-02-22

[patjem]

Well, somebody's telling porkie-pies, and going by track record, it is a fair assumption to guess who that is!

[h90]

No problems Yingluck will just state that the WTO isn't their father.

Do you think she knows the WTO?

[Bocking]

''Mr Surasak said they had the right to do so but he doubted they had any concrete evidence to press charges''.

Of course, something may have been lost in translation, but .... only 'doubted' that they had concrete evidence.

.... A rather curious turn of phrase ?

[Robby nz]

Mr Surasak said they had the right to do so but he doubted they had any concrete evidence to press charges.

Given that everything seems to be a state secret does he have any concrete evidence to refute the charges ?

We were told several times that details of deals could not be disclosed because receiving countries would not

allow it.

So now it would seem a recipient country is disclosing details which will be denied.

[worgeordie]

Why is there zero information about prices?

Good question. That's the one the WTO may be asking.

Prices will be classed as a state secret,that way nobody will ever find out

how much money has been wasted or just vanished,from this scam.

regards worgeordie

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Didn't Taksin say that the goal of the rice scheme was to force an increase in world rice prices? Wow!!! Another job well done as you only stand to drop the price of rice buy dumping your rotten rice on an already flooded market. At least they have the Billions of dollars that they pocketed so far. Just take the money and run already. Let the country move on.

[mikemac]

Here we go. Another TV prediction coming to fruition. Predicting things in Thailand is not so difficult. If you can understand a child, you can predict what will happen here.

Anyone who can understand a nasty, racist Thai basher can predict what your next comment will be.

[mikemac]

Didn't Taksin say that the goal of the rice scheme was to force an increase in world rice prices? Wow!!! Another job well done as you only stand to drop the price of rice buy dumping your rotten rice on an already flooded market. At least they have the Billions of dollars that they pocketed so far. Just take the money and run already. Let the country move on.

Just take the money and run already. Let the country move on.

They have............................they will !

[looping]

''Mr Surasak said they had the right to do so but he doubted they had any concrete evidence to press charges''.

Of course, something may have been lost in translation, but .... only 'doubted' that they had concrete evidence.

.... A rather curious turn of phrase ?

Not sure if they found any

Has to be lost in translation, surely no one would be that stupid. Then again...

Almost like saying that someone wasn't somewhere and didn't break the law, even if she was there.

They're next move may be to say "what rice???"

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited February 22, 2014 by looping

[aimbc]

Our tax dollars at work. Buy high, sell extremely low. Everything the Shinwatra government touches turns to crap.

Your right .... except it's probably more correct to say .... "Buy High, don't sell, let rot" ... the rice stockpiles are turing to crap .. this is the Shinawatra touch

I wouldn't doubt that the rice was not left to rot, but bought old rice for the price of new rice.

[lostinsurin]

US is involved as well as other SEA countries. Not good. Deal with China vanished. It's not looking good at all. And, as much as I dislike many things about Thailand (while loving many as well), I think Thailand had earned its spot as top world exporter over many years of hard work and decent policy. One of the very few things that the country seemed to be exceptional at. Ruined (for now) by truly idiotic policy.

Yes not good Paully, there's those tractors going home again!

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Thailand denies dumping rice in Indonesian market

By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Feb 22 – The Thai Commerce Ministry has categorically denied a report that Thailand has dumped rice on the Indonesian market at cut-rate prices.

Surasak Riangkrul, Foreign Trade Department director general, said Thailand has never sold rice to Indonesia at lower prices.

He was referring to a statement by his Indonesian counterpart Bachrul Chairi who said there was an indication that Thai rice suppliers dumped rice exports in Indonesia, but he did not provide details of volumes or companies.

Mr Surasak stood firm that Thailand has never sold rice at low prices to Indonesia in the last few years, adding that the allegations were aimed at tarnishing the reputations of the Thai government and Commerce Ministry.

Some countries have reportedly threatened to file charges with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Thailand’s market dumping.

Mr Surasak said they had the right to do so but he doubted they had any concrete evidence to press charges.

The Foreign Trade Department is ready to compile information and evidence to clarify to the WTO, he said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-02-22

At this point, I think most people would be happy the rice was being sold at all, as long as the sale proceeds were being used to pay the farmers' pledge notes. As far as I can tell, the rice is just rotting in warehouses, because the government won't admit it needs to take substantial losses on the sales due to the realities of the world rice market. Rather than give a categorical denial, it might be nice to see an accounting. An accounting would include the details of any rice sales and could be used to deny this allegation. The lack of accounting should be an impeachable offense to any government officials involved with the program.

Edited February 22, 2014 by zaphodbeeblebrox

[onlycw]

Good luck with this policy - rice happens to degrade over time. It's a perishable good. Lord have mercy with the poor taxpayers...

A former neighbor tried to rent a condo next door for more than double the going rate. couldn't get it rented - wouldn't accept the market rent - or get out by selling the condo.

Not sure what the guy was thinking. He was a Thai-chinese guy and not some farmer with dirt under his fingernails.

Holding on to dead capital makes perfect sense to this guy. It doesn't to me. Condo prices have been under pressure, JMHO.

At this point in time, Thailand needs someone to actually sell the blasted rice pdq, pretty darn quickly.

Moreover, the scheme should be publicly scrapped, as the poorest and smallest farmers won't qualify anyhow. (There's nothing new about the fat cats getting the cream, all over the word, is there?)

[tominbkk]

Good luck with this policy - rice happens to degrade over time. It's a perishable good. Lord have mercy with the poor taxpayers...

A former neighbor tried to rent a condo next door for more than double the going rate. couldn't get it rented - wouldn't accept the market rent - or get out by selling the condo.

Not sure what the guy was thinking. He was a Thai-chinese guy and not some farmer with dirt under his fingernails.

Holding on to dead capital makes perfect sense to this guy. It doesn't to me. Condo prices have been under pressure, JMHO.

At this point in time, Thailand needs someone to actually sell the blasted rice pdq, pretty darn quickly.

Moreover, the scheme should be publicly scrapped, as the poorest and smallest farmers won't qualify anyhow. (There's nothing new about the fat cats getting the cream, all over the word, is there?)

The village I rented at before I bought in my new village had a lot of properties like that: people unwilling to admit that the selling price would ever match their expectations, and so the houses were left unoccupied and unmaintained until they were falling apart in untrimmed jungle. There was a nice big house we wanted to rent but the owner was adamant not to. Instead we saw it sit for 5 years unoccupied and rotting.

Edited February 22, 2014 by tominbkk

[ikurauni]

We all can thank the Yingluck administration for creating the mess not only to the rice farmers but also possibly to the international communities.

She wanted to gain her popularity from the farmers but it is obvious that she never thought about the consequences from this rice scheme.

This rice plan might screw many people globally.

[IAMSOBAD]

I cannot believe the rice farmers fell for the old...THE CHECKS IN THE MAIL scam...again. Shame on PTP and Shin clan.

[kratiam]

Hi....this is from CNN iReport.......sorry for the bold font...it's a straight copy. The libnk is:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1094224

Revealing 4 main 20 minor steps to corrupt the Rice Scheme Policy

The 4 Main steps are :

1. Rice Farmers registration

2. milling process

3. transferring rice to the warehouse

4. selling rice.

The 20 minor steps are :

1. fraud registering the farmland area
2. fraud registering the yielded products
3. Complicated registering farmland leasing contracts making it’s hard to track
4. Selling the Rice Farmers IDs to the mills so the mills can get more money from the government.

Edited February 22, 2014 by metisdead
Fixed the bold font. Post edited as per fair use policy, go to the link to read the full report.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Hi....this is from CNN iReport.......sorry for the bold font...it's a straight copy. The libnk is:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1094224

Revealing 4 main 20 minor steps to corrupt the Rice Scheme Policy

The 4 Main steps are :

1. Rice Farmers registration

2. milling process

3. transferring rice to the warehouse

4. selling rice.

The 20 minor steps are :

1. fraud registering the farmland area

2. fraud registering the yielded products

3. Complicated registering farmland leasing contracts making it’s hard to track

4. Selling the Rice Farmers IDs to the mills so the mills can get more money from the government.

Apart from that, everything is above board and legitimate!!!

Edited February 22, 2014 by SICHONSTEVE

[harber8]

"Thailand has a glut of 18 to 20 million tonnes in state stockpiles bought via the pledging scheme."

Bought?? Stolen in a lot of cases.

[billd766]

Why is there zero information about prices?

Here is some numbers from previous auctions. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/704323-afet-bids-for-thai-govt-rice-come-in-low-amid-high-supply/?hl=+rice%20+auction

The sale yesterday of white rice and jasmine rice was the second in the futures market this year, after 58,900 tonnes auctioned last month.

Somchart Soithong, director-general of the ministry's Internal Trade Department, said the auction was expected to generate Bt1 billion. White rice was bid at Bt1.70-Bt3.49 per kilogram lower than the market price for delivery. Jasmine rice was Bt1.72-Bt4.73 a kilo lower than the market price.

Khao Hom Patum rice is currently quoted at Bt14 per kilo and jasmine rice at Bt27-Bt28, while white rice fetches Bt11-Bt12 per kilo. This means the government would receive only Bt8.50 per kilo if the market price is Bt12 on the delivery date.

Traders also know that the government sold rice at very low price in the previous sale of 850,000 tonnes at only Bt9.5-Bt11 a kilo, so the marker price for white and jasmine rice is seen as dropping gradually.

Interesting... Although it seems that even at this selling price, if gov sold 18 mil tons in stock pile they would be able to pay off the debt to farmers of 130 billion THB

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Thailand dropped 18 million tons of rice on the open market the price of rice would drop very quickly and Thailand would be so deep in the doo doo they would never get out. ALL the rice exporting countries around the world would jump on Thailand and the WTO would probably suspend the sales of Thai rice and possibly Thailand too.

That always assumes that they can actually sell the rice in the first place.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Why is there zero information about prices?

Here is some numbers from previous auctions. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/704323-afet-bids-for-thai-govt-rice-come-in-low-amid-high-supply/?hl=+rice%20+auction

The sale yesterday of white rice and jasmine rice was the second in the futures market this year, after 58,900 tonnes auctioned last month.

Somchart Soithong, director-general of the ministry's Internal Trade Department, said the auction was expected to generate Bt1 billion. White rice was bid at Bt1.70-Bt3.49 per kilogram lower than the market price for delivery. Jasmine rice was Bt1.72-Bt4.73 a kilo lower than the market price.

Khao Hom Patum rice is currently quoted at Bt14 per kilo and jasmine rice at Bt27-Bt28, while white rice fetches Bt11-Bt12 per kilo. This means the government would receive only Bt8.50 per kilo if the market price is Bt12 on the delivery date.

Traders also know that the government sold rice at very low price in the previous sale of 850,000 tonnes at only Bt9.5-Bt11 a kilo, so the marker price for white and jasmine rice is seen as dropping gradually.

Interesting... Although it seems that even at this selling price, if gov sold 18 mil tons in stock pile they would be able to pay off the debt to farmers of 130 billion THB

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Thailand dropped 18 million tons of rice on the open market the price of rice would drop very quickly and Thailand would be so deep in the doo doo they would never get out. ALL the rice exporting countries around the world would jump on Thailand and the WTO would probably suspend the sales of Thai rice and possibly Thailand too.

That always assumes that they can actually sell the rice in the first place.

So what you are saying is that it is not all that feasible then however they attempt to do it. Shame!!!