Thai farmers speak out at forum: Better rice policies needed

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Better rice policies needed
THE NATION



Farmers speak out at forum

BANGKOK: -- AT THE FIRST Citizens' Forum for Reform, farmers made it clear that deep down they yearn for sustainable solutions - not rice-pledging schemes or crop-price guarantees.

"We hope all stakeholders will be engaged in formulating long-term national rice policies, something politicians can't change," Farmers' Network Association president Rawee Rungrueang said.

"We want something like a national economic and social development plan for farmers," he said.

Held in Nakhon Sawan this week, the event was part of a mobile-seminar initiative born out of a collaboration between Krung-thep Turakij newspaper and the NOW26 TV station. Both organisations are under Nation Multimedia Group (NMG).

The first seminar was held under the theme "Farmers' Sustainability is Thailand's Sustainability".

Rawee said farmers who ran into trouble were those who had acted in response to government policy.

"Farmers in two other main groups, namely those in contract farming and self-reliant farmers, are doing fine," he said.

Rice Department adviser Pramote Wanitchanont said it was high time the rice industry was reformed to ensure that the development of quality rice and those who cultivate it become the focus - not price.

Pramote said a strategy should be drawn up to solve poverty and protect farmers from unfair pricing, disasters and exploitation. He believes the country's rice crisis took place because the public was left out of the policy-making process.

He suggested establishing a committee comprising representatives from various groups and having no political involvement to take care of rice matters and ensure that the majority benefits.

"Politicians would be only management people who carry out rural people's consensus," he added.

NMG chairman Suthichai Yoon invited the participants to attend the next forum, in which strategies for the proposed rice committee would be discussed.

Suthichai said the outcomes from this week's forum would be passed on to policy-makers.

The input included a call by Somporn Isvilanonada, of the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, for rice to be viewed as an economic crop.

Somporn said it should be based on an industrial thinking system involving marketing, cost-cutting and a central market establishment, which would help farmers in the long run.

Nakhon Sawan Chamber of Commerce chairman Komkrit Thammaratrakul called for the promotion of farmers' ability to compete in the world market and use education to create a new generation of farmers.

A team from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives proposed the "three reductions, three additions" road map for the nine lower North provinces from 2014-2018.

The reductions were for costs, risk and chemical use on soil, while the additions were for farming efficiency, soil preparation and seed selection, and produce value.

Biothai director Witoon Lianchamroon wants a goal set to promote organic farming, especially high-quality and environmentally friendly rice, and for a solution to the high cost of renting land to be found.

Sumeth Laomoraphorn, chief executive officer of International Trading Business at Charoen Pokphand Group, urged farmers to strengthen cooperative systems for bargaining power.

Earth Net Foundation vice chairman Tawatchai Tositrakul said many people now ate organic rice and this helped promote farmer sustainability as they would always have buyers for the produce.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Better-rice-policies-needed-30237210.html


-- The Nation 2014-06-27

[Robby nz]

Really getting some sense talked now politicians are out of the loop with their 'we know best' attitude.

Now all it needs is to get things done without letting them get their sticky fingers back in.

[rametindallas]

I believe I read that, at the height of the Rice Support Scheme, up to 40% of the rice was being grown on land that was unsuitable for rice production. Zone and restrict rice growing to suitable areas and you cut out a lot of problems with failed crops, needing extra fertilizer, irrigation, etc.. Many small and mid-sized rice farmers haven't changed their methods since the 1950s or 1960s. They must admit that, unless they co-op and share expensive equipment, they are not viable rice producers. In Louisiana and Texas, the rice farms are huge and they get the benefits of 'economy of scale'. All small and mid-sized farmers in the US have been phased out. Sadly, this is the reality in a global economy and many of these farmers face an uncertain future. Subsidizing them would be like subsidizing buggy whip manufacturing. Some government funded programs to help the fringe farmers switch to a high-value crop like tomatoes, or other fresh vegetables/fruit, might be the best solution. I do like the idea of focusing on high quality rice rather than quantity; same effort, bigger returns.

[iphad]

Every nation needs to have a secure food plan ..we need more farmers not less.

High quality over quantity...with government support not corruption is my opinion.

[Robby nz]

I believe I read that, at the height of the Rice Support Scheme, up to 40% of the rice was being grown on land that was unsuitable for rice production. Zone and restrict rice growing to suitable areas and you cut out a lot of problems with failed crops, needing extra fertilizer, irrigation, etc.. Many small and mid-sized rice farmers haven't changed their methods since the 1950s or 1960s. They must admit that, unless they co-op and share expensive equipment, they are not viable rice producers. In Louisiana and Texas, the rice farms are huge and they get the benefits of 'economy of scale'. All small and mid-sized farmers in the US have been phased out. Sadly, this is the reality in a global economy and many of these farmers face an uncertain future. Subsidizing them would be like subsidizing buggy whip manufacturing. Some government funded programs to help the fringe farmers switch to a high-value crop like tomatoes, or other fresh vegetables/fruit, might be the best solution. I do like the idea of focusing on high quality rice rather than quantity; same effort, bigger returns.

I suspect you are wrong as most of the rice in this country is grown on the central plain where the land is very flat and they mostly get 3 crops a year which translates into the majority of the rice crop, saw stats somewhere but don't remember where.

Not so easy just to change crops as there is longer lead in time for most other crops and there must be infrastructure and markets in place to handle those crops, by the time that is put in place who knows what things will be like and you can easily end up with something like this from yesterdays news :

Posted Yesterday, 11:17

A 50-million baht subsidy granted to assist orchard growers in the East

BANGKOK, 26 June 2014 (NNT) - The Comptroller’s General Department (CGD) has approved a 50 million baht budget to help orchard growers in eastern provinces who are facing huge losses due to overproduction of fruits.

Director-General Manas Chaemveha revealed that the eastern fruit market is being affected by an oversupply of fruits, especially mangosteen and rambutan which all come out at the same time in June.

Fruit prices have fallen dramatically as a result of low demand and high supply. Therefore, the CGD has come up with certain measures to tackle the problem by allocating 50.93 billion baht from the Central Fund to assist orchard growers.

The measures include distribution of fruits to different markets and to encouraging fruit processing to create more choices of products for customers and added value to the fruits. The relief measures have already begun on June 21st, 2014 and will last until December 31st, 2015.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

If I understand the OP correctly they are getting together those who really know what they are talking about, including the farmers, with the intention of developing a long term plan to develop the rice industry, an industry that will always be needed, that can stand on its own feet without subsidies.

Sounds good to me and I am quite happy to let them get on with it rather than saying what farmers should and should not do from the point of an outside observer.

[Nickymaster]

Good to see that the voices of the rice farmers are finally being heard.

[FangFerang]

If this leads to sustainable action rather than cosmetic reforms, I will give the junta a B+ (like the polls say the Thais already do).

These are interesting times.

[tingtongteesood]

If you can't make money selling rice, grow something else or get a job. Simple. I wish they would stop moaning and use their brains.....oh wait....

[rametindallas]

I believe I read that, at the height of the Rice Support Scheme, up to 40% of the rice was being grown on land that was unsuitable for rice production. Zone and restrict rice growing to suitable areas and you cut out a lot of problems with failed crops, needing extra fertilizer, irrigation, etc.. Many small and mid-sized rice farmers haven't changed their methods since the 1950s or 1960s. They must admit that, unless they co-op and share expensive equipment, they are not viable rice producers. In Louisiana and Texas, the rice farms are huge and they get the benefits of 'economy of scale'. All small and mid-sized farmers in the US have been phased out. Sadly, this is the reality in a global economy and many of these farmers face an uncertain future. Subsidizing them would be like subsidizing buggy whip manufacturing. Some government funded programs to help the fringe farmers switch to a high-value crop like tomatoes, or other fresh vegetables/fruit, might be the best solution. I do like the idea of focusing on high quality rice rather than quantity; same effort, bigger returns.

I suspect you are wrong as most of the rice in this country is grown on the central plain where the land is very flat and they mostly get 3 crops a year which translates into the majority of the rice crop, saw stats somewhere but don't remember where.

Not so easy just to change crops as there is longer lead in time for most other crops and there must be infrastructure and markets in place to handle those crops, by the time that is put in place who knows what things will be like and you can easily end up with something like this from yesterdays news :

Posted Yesterday, 11:17

A 50-million baht subsidy granted to assist orchard growers in the East

BANGKOK, 26 June 2014 (NNT) - The Comptroller’s General Department (CGD) has approved a 50 million baht budget to help orchard growers in eastern provinces who are facing huge losses due to overproduction of fruits.

Director-General Manas Chaemveha revealed that the eastern fruit market is being affected by an oversupply of fruits, especially mangosteen and rambutan which all come out at the same time in June.

Fruit prices have fallen dramatically as a result of low demand and high supply. Therefore, the CGD has come up with certain measures to tackle the problem by allocating 50.93 billion baht from the Central Fund to assist orchard growers.

The measures include distribution of fruits to different markets and to encouraging fruit processing to create more choices of products for customers and added value to the fruits. The relief measures have already begun on June 21st, 2014 and will last until December 31st, 2015.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

If I understand the OP correctly they are getting together those who really know what they are talking about, including the farmers, with the intention of developing a long term plan to develop the rice industry, an industry that will always be needed, that can stand on its own feet without subsidies.

Sounds good to me and I am quite happy to let them get on with it rather than saying what farmers should and should not do from the point of an outside observer.

I hope I didn't come off as an expert in Thailand agriculture. I was just expressing an opinion based on my limited knowledge. I was so sure my opinion would not affect the discussions among Thai rice farmers, that is currently going on, and that my opinion would not go farther than the audience that reads the comments on this particular OP on this forum, that I ventured to comment on the subject. Speaking as an outsider I don't think the farmers care what I write on this forum so, in reality, I'm not telling anybody what to do. If we all follow the advise you give in your last sentence, no one should comment on anything in Thailand lest we 'outsider observers' are saying what Thais should and should not do. Is that what you are suggesting?

p.s. as for the included news article, a properly functioning Agriculture Department is supposed to advise farmers, well in advance, which crops are about to be in overabundance and which crops have growth potential. Pun intended.