Measures to be implemented to help rice farmers: Prayuth

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RICE GROWERS DILEMMA
Measures to be implemented to help rice farmers: Prayut
The Nation

Says Focus will be put on boosting productivity, with farm zoning to be studied further by Interior ministry

BANGKOK: -- MEASURES WILL be implemented as part of long-term efforts to help protect farmers from the continued low price of rice - including developing farmland and advanced planning through the cooperation of relevant agencies, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

Prayut said farm zoning was still on the agenda and would be further studied by the Interior Ministry.

He said key polices to address the issue included developing land in major river basins into farmland instead of factories or other industries, although he did not say what would happen to the existing businesses in these basins.

There would be no campaign to convince farmers to give up rice farming, as Northeast farmers had suggested after citing speculation in the media.

The junta chief said the focus would be on utilising less farmland and water while at the same time increasing productivity.

He said the Interior Ministry’s Damrongtham Centre, which was dedicated to helping financially struggling people, was assisting farmers by working with the Agriculture Ministry to find out which areas of the country were suitable for certain crops.

Assistance would then be given to farmers who were willing to take part in the farm-zoning scheme.

The Bt1,000 per rai that would

be paid to farmers might be increased at a later stage.

Prayut said farmers would be classified into four groups - very poor or landless, those owning more than 40 rai of farmland, those with more wealth or those who use tractors or other machinery, and those operating farms and also leasing other farmland.

All groups would be eligible for different kinds of government assistance or subsidies.

Both ministries would jointly conduct the classification process and consult on other details important to working out the zoning policy.

The prime minister said a similar zoning scheme would also apply to the rubber industry in a bid to better shield it from a drop in global rubber prices. He did not provide more details.

He planned to promote environmental tourism, which would include foreign tourists briefly staying at rice farms.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Measures-to-be-implemented-to-help-rice-farmers-Pr-30244907.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-07

[Thai at Heart]

How many months has he got left?

Good luck getting all this done.

[EricBerg]

"He planned to promote environmental tourism, which would include foreign tourists briefly staying at rice farms."

Perhaps a few backpackers or modern day hippies will like that environmental tourism. One could consider promoting non touristic tourism as well: Foreign tourists paying for brief stays with poor people who live in places where there is nothing to do or see. Got problems? Let the foreigners pay.

Edited October 6, 2014 by EricBerg

[BSJ]

"He planned to promote environmental tourism, which would include foreign tourists briefly staying at rice farms."

Perhaps a few backpackers or modern day hippies will like that environmental tourism. One could consider promoting non touristic tourism as well: Foreign tourists paying for brief stays with poor people who live in places where there is nothing to do or see. Got problems? Let the foreigners pay.

" Let the foreigners pay." That's a flatout statement of what the Thai's were thinking anyway.....all over LOS!

[KhunBENQ]

He planned to promote environmental tourism, which would include foreign tourists briefly staying at rice farms.

Just a friendly wording for seeking volunteer harvest workers, cheaper than the Burmese,

They will even bring money with them

[kuifje]

Why so many posters always start with negativity on any news. The subsidy from the previous government (output subsidy) was not working and costing Thailand there number one place on the world market. It was also too expensive for the government coffers and prone to alot of corruption. Crop prices should always depends on market price (never on subsidy price). This government is proposing an input subsidy on different levels (which is more sensible). Many countries around the world involve in input subsidy for different branches. It could work for Thailand also. The gap between the stupid/expensive subsidy from the (Thaksin clan) and doing nothing is too big. So present government has to close that gap a little bit.

[Don Aleman]

Potatoes use 1/10 th the water rice does !