Minister Amnuay shocked by rubber planter's suicide

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Minister Amnuay shocked by rubber planter's suicide



BANGKOK: -- Deputy Agriculture Minister Amnuay Patise said today that he was shocked after he learned that a rubber planter in Nakhon Si Thammarat had committed suicide because of the falling rubber prices.

He said he felt sorry for the family of the victim as the incident took place as rubber price is on the increase gradually. He also vowed to do the best he could to resolve the rubber price slump problem.

The deputy minister assured that rubber planters would be better off next year than this year as rubber price is steadily picking up. The price, he said, has gone up to 60 baht a kilo and adding subsidy from the government, rubber planters would get 65 baht a kilo which would be enough for the planters to survive.

For the next step, he said rubber planters would have to be registered so that they will be able to get help without delay the next time when subsidy is to be granted, said Mr Amnuay

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/minister-amnuay-shocked-rubber-planters-sucide


-- Thai PBS 2014-12-26

[chainarong]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

[Toknarok]

Sad to say there will probably be more incidents of this nature It must be heartbreaking to see years of investment and hard work all for nothing.

I don't know where the Minister gets his figures from to say that the price of rubber is rising, there has been little or no change in the price since the beginning of the month until today.

http://www.thainr.com/en/?detail=pr-local

[GregBow]

As most of the small affected farmers seem to be at Kee Yang pricing I would think they should look at the price rubber in the cup still being paid around the regions.

These are the real subsistence farmers who if lucky on a 50/50 spit are netting 10 Baht per Kg after their investment.

Decry all you like about farmers knowing the risk - I do not believe that small farmers do understand the global situation and that there needs be regulation of the collection and payment at rubber in the cup pricing.

This is regulated now but certainly not by any official channel rather by thuggery and extortion - sell to them or no one

Thoughts?

[Emster23]

Of course he is shocked. What's he supposed to say? "One less protester?"

[thaiguzzi]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

"Not competitive enough to operate" - you aint really got a clue about a rubber plantation, have you? Be honest...

[kovaltech]

Somehow this is misleading...

"The farmers will get 65 bath/kg" ?..?

How much is the "middle man" in % taking ?

Why is it virtual impossible to set up cooperatives for the benefit of the farmers?

Eliminating the middleman construction would be less cost at higher nett result, but who is benefitting from a poor farmer and from the middleman ?

[Docno]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

I don't disagree with you. But if you have ever lived in the US, Europe, Canada, or Australia, you have lived in a place where there are tax-payer supported agricultural subsidies. This is just to say we should avoid getting on our high horses...

[rickirs]

“…adding subsidy from the government, rubber planters would get 65 baht a kilo which would be enough for the planters to survive.”

NO. With the cost of production at Bt64.50 per kg (The Nation 2014-12-15) a Bt1/kg profit margin is not survivable.

“The deputy minister assured that rubber planters would be better off next year than this year as rubber price is steadily picking up.”

HARDLY. Two recent events have locked the price at Bt60/kg:

1) “The minister [Amnuay] said Thailand agreed with Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to increase the natural rubber price to Bt60 per kilogram in 18 months.”

2) “Thailand also had a limited rubber-price ceiling after signing an agreement with the Chinese government to sell China 400,000 tonnes of rubber at Bt60 per kg … to be delivered in 18 months.”

The government price subsidy of Bt5/kg will continue for the next 18 months that will cost Bt9 billion. In addition to that are (a) the 1,000 baht/rai handouts to rubber farmers by the government that will cost Bt8.7 billion, (Bt15 billion in soft loans to rubber tapper cooperatives, and © Bt60 million for IT and silos.

But the farmers now demand a 30-per-cent profit that requires a price of Bt94.50/kg. What gives them so much leverage with the Junta-led government?

“Many rubber farmers live in the nation's south, a region home to the ultra-royalists who backed the May coup that brought the military to power. As their profits shrivel, the farmers now want payback.”

- *** 2014-12-09

Who says the Junta is nuetral in politics? it is no less involved than any elected government.

[JOC]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

"Not competitive enough to operate" - you aint really got a clue about a rubber plantation, have you? Be honest...

Ever heard of common sense??

[robblok]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

I don't disagree with you. But if you have ever lived in the US, Europe, Canada, or Australia, you have lived in a place where there are tax-payer supported agricultural subsidies. This is just to say we should avoid getting on our high horses...

I did not like it back in the UK and I don't like it here. The market dictates pricing.. the moment you stop that your in trouble. Unless you make it financed by farmers meaning that in good years they get less and its put into a fund for bad years. If you constantly need to subsidies farmers then its totally wrong. (unless of course other farmers are subsidized and dumping their product)

[JOC]

It probably would be cheaper to pay the farmers not to farm!!

[Gunna]

Rubber planter ??

ie. They plant rubber trees, wait in the shade for 5 years for the trees to produce latex, and then pay someone to collect it.

Do you all really think this rubber planter committed suicide because of low prices.

Maybe he lost his money drinking and or gambling

Maybe he borrowed from loan sharks who threatened his family.

When I was a beef farmer in NZ in 1973-4 and the beef prices collapsed because of the oil crisis, I decided to change to dairy farming even though it meant borrowing a lot of money for infrastructure and being in debt for the next 20 years, it did make our farm financially viable.

This year the payout per kilogram of milk solids has halved NZ$8.70 to $4.70, but land & cow prices have remained much the same. the only thing that is saving many farmers is that interest rates remain low. NZ hasn't subsidised farmers since 1980s - survive or get out of farming, and don't even think about asking the Government for money. So NZ has developed into the worlds largest exporter of dairy products with the cheapest production costs

At least I only had to wait a few months for the dairy cows to start milking and produce an income. When you plant rubber trees it is along term investment and very little money can be from it while you wait for the trees to grow. I believe too many rubber trees were planted when the prices were high so if they borrowed money or have no other income for 5 years they are going to have problems.

[Docno]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

I don't disagree with you. But if you have ever lived in the US, Europe, Canada, or Australia, you have lived in a place where there are tax-payer supported agricultural subsidies. This is just to say we should avoid getting on our high horses...

I did not like it back in the UK and I don't like it here. The market dictates pricing.. the moment you stop that your in trouble. Unless you make it financed by farmers meaning that in good years they get less and its put into a fund for bad years. If you constantly need to subsidies farmers then its totally wrong. (unless of course other farmers are subsidized and dumping their product)

I wasn't defending subsidies, simply making the point that they are pretty well ubiquitous. That said, I have less of a problem with them when they support subsistence farmers (as they might in parts of Thailand) than when they support the larger and more 'industrialised' operations we see in some western countries.

[robblok]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

I don't disagree with you. But if you have ever lived in the US, Europe, Canada, or Australia, you have lived in a place where there are tax-payer supported agricultural subsidies. This is just to say we should avoid getting on our high horses...

I did not like it back in the UK and I don't like it here. The market dictates pricing.. the moment you stop that your in trouble. Unless you make it financed by farmers meaning that in good years they get less and its put into a fund for bad years. If you constantly need to subsidies farmers then its totally wrong. (unless of course other farmers are subsidized and dumping their product)

I wasn't defending subsidies, simply making the point that they are pretty well ubiquitous. That said, I have less of a problem with them when they support subsistence farmers (as they might in parts of Thailand) than when they support the larger and more 'industrialised' operations we see in some western countries.

I agree.. but got a problem with both, if something cant be done cost effective then let someone else do it who can do it cost effective. Why let the taxpayer pay for it. In the end its foolish to do it like this.

[Thai at Heart]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

Rubber is a 25 year commitment.

What would you like these farmers to eat whilst they continue to lose money probably at least for the next year or so.at least if not 5 years.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[Docno]

I did not like it back in the UK and I don't like it here. The market dictates pricing.. the moment you stop that your in trouble. Unless you make it financed by farmers meaning that in good years they get less and its put into a fund for bad years. If you constantly need to subsidies farmers then its totally wrong. (unless of course other farmers are subsidized and dumping their product)

I don't disagree with you. But if you have ever lived in the US, Europe, Canada, or Australia, you have lived in a place where there are tax-payer supported agricultural subsidies. This is just to say we should avoid getting on our high horses...

I wasn't defending subsidies, simply making the point that they are pretty well ubiquitous. That said, I have less of a problem with them when they support subsistence farmers (as they might in parts of Thailand) than when they support the larger and more 'industrialised' operations we see in some western countries.

I agree.. but got a problem with both, if something cant be done cost effective then let someone else do it who can do it cost effective. Why let the taxpayer pay for it. In the end its foolish to do it like this.

I know many won't agree with me on this--particularly those of a more libertarian bent--but I'm one of those who believe that it makes sense to protect activities that are core to a nation's traditions and culture, be it traditional textile making, arts, or even family farming. I'm not an economist, but I suspect that larger (perhaps not Soviet-sized) farms are more cost-efficient than family farms. So what do we do, especially in places where family farming is part of the national heritage? Do we go sink-or-swim with family farmers? This would likely mean most/many family farms failing and being bought up and aggregated into larger, more efficient and mechanised farms. You might think this is a good thing... more efficiency. But then ask yourself what happens to all those people that used to own their (smaller) farms. You'll probably end up seeing what you see in the Philippines: larger farms and much more urban poverty (landless poor). And yes, I am fully aware I may be wrong on this and I'm willing to be 'educated'... are there examples in the developing world where there has been an aggregation of farm land that did not hurt the poor and benefit the rich?

[chainarong]

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No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate. alt=coffee1.gif width=32 height=24>

"Not competitive enough to operate" - you aint really got a clue about a rubber plantation, have you? Be honest...

I know enough to know about commercial enterprise , that if you use by date has expired too bad and yours has.

[kaobang]

where are the members who said the suicides were Yingluck fault?probably hiding under the bed

[anon022]

How unfortunate that farmers have been made to believe that they could make a fortune in rubber farming. This is what it has come to. RIP and rest in peace unfortunate farmer!

On the other hand, these rubber plantations - together with a lot of Euca plantations, are now beginning to dominate the North-east as well, destroying its traditionally magnificent landscapes. For me personally, the rubber price couldn't get low enough. It would deter more farmers from starting, and would hopefully move others to make a 180 degree turn, and start farming rice and produce again. It would benefit the Thai in general much more as well, because food prices go up when there's less to eat. You can't eat rubber.

Please not more rubber and Euca farms!

Edited December 26, 2014 by Impossible

[bangon04]

I know many won't agree with me on this--particularly those of a more libertarian bent--but I'm one of those who believe that it makes sense to protect activities that are core to a nation's traditions and culture, be it traditional textile making, arts, or even family farming. I'm not an economist, but I suspect that larger (perhaps not Soviet-sized) farms are more cost-efficient than family farms. So what do we do, especially in places where family farming is part of the national heritage? Do we go sink-or-swim with family farmers? This would likely mean most/many family farms failing and being bought up and aggregated into larger, more efficient and mechanised farms. You might think this is a good thing... more efficiency. But then ask yourself what happens to all those people that used to own their (smaller) farms. You'll probably end up seeing what you see in the Philippines: larger farms and much more urban poverty (landless poor). And yes, I am fully aware I may be wrong on this and I'm willing to be 'educated'... are there examples in the developing world where there has been an aggregation of farm land that did not hurt the poor and benefit the rich?

Isn't it an integral part of the "developing" country? No Pain No Gain. Most "Developed" Countries went through this.

Economies of scale. Agricultural Revolution. Yes it hurts the poor and unskilled. They move to urban areas and retrain.

If Thailand wants to protect its subsistence economy for other reasons.....

Also agree that the "Middlemen" are surely a big part of the problem. Not only do they profit from the farmers' lack of market choice, they also snap up foreclosed land and accumulate land cheaply.

No big surprise that the Chinese middlemen do not want the farmers to get a good education..

[Thai at Heart]

How unfortunate that farmers have been made to believe that they could make a fortune in rubber farming. This is what it has come to. RIP and rest in peace unfortunate farmer!

On the other hand, these rubber plantations - together with a lot of Euca plantations, are now beginning to dominate the North-east as well, destroying its traditionally magnificent landscapes. For me personally, the rubber price couldn't get low enough. It would deter more farmers from starting, and would hopefully move others to make a 180 degree turn, and start farming rice and produce again. It would benefit the Thai in general much more as well, because food prices go up when there's less to eat. You can't eat rubber.

Please not more rubber and Euca farms!

Please not more rice either.

Its interesting that the effects of rubber as a monoculture on the enviorment are actually huge but rarely talked about.

As for the primary processing, well. The stench and the waste is horrendous.

[xtrnuno41]

It's the system we live in, we created. Some time for some it goes well.

Now it's over the top and big companies play powerplay.

Making deals to get what they want as low in prices then sell it in the expensive western market.

So high profits for companies and thats good, again for the richer ones.

Managers in greedy positions every where, just thinking me. Coz that is the system.

They dont care and are short term visioned, including any government.

We are growing to 10 billion people on this earth and is too much and who knows how to kill human better

than human itself? Humans!

There are so many done and on going studies about humans, so to know how to manipulate them and getting them down.

Total control is the issue and who cares hardworking people are dying, coz they cant survive.

With the same group of products which are lowered is banana's and cacao.

Farmers in South America, growing cacao, think they better can stop and that is a big market. No more chocolate anymore.

Thanx to the greediness of managers, as long as they can live well! It will get worse and many people will go down.

Saw a docu of an american farmer who grew strawberries, he had to bring money with him to sell it !!

So he decided better to take whole crops and destroy it, it was cheaper.

And so that happens a lot with food all over the world at auctions. They (buyers) want higher prices in market to make more profit.

So just throw away what is too much, maintain prices on a higher level. Our great system.!

Dictator in this system is United States! Any other country must follow.

Btw you think HIV, H1N1 and ebola comes from itself? I don't think it is, it's an invention by mankind and planted.

Mankind could be great, but it's dictated by scruples people and they own the planet.

[anon022]

adding subsidy from the government, rubber planters would get 65 baht a kilo which would be enough for the planters to survive.

NO. With the cost of production at Bt64.50 per kg (The Nation 2014-12-15) a Bt1/kg profit margin is not survivable.

The deputy minister assured that rubber planters would be better off next year than this year as rubber price is steadily picking up.

HARDLY. Two recent events have locked the price at Bt60/kg:

1) The minister [Amnuay] said Thailand agreed with Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to increase the natural rubber price to Bt60 per kilogram in 18 months.

2) Thailand also had a limited rubber-price ceiling after signing an agreement with the Chinese government to sell China 400,000 tonnes of rubber at Bt60 per kg to be delivered in 18 months.

The government price subsidy of Bt5/kg will continue for the next 18 months that will cost Bt9 billion. In addition to that are (a) the 1,000 baht/rai handouts to rubber farmers by the government that will cost Bt8.7 billion, (Bt15 billion in soft loans to rubber tapper cooperatives, and © Bt60 million for IT and silos.

But the farmers now demand a 30-per-cent profit that requires a price of Bt94.50/kg. What gives them so much leverage with the Junta-led government?

Many rubber farmers live in the nation's south, a region home to the ultra-royalists who backed the May coup that brought the military to power. As their profits shrivel, the farmers now want payback.

- *** 2014-12-09

Who says the Junta is nuetral in politics? it is no less involved than any elected government.

I sincerely hope that rubber prices stay low enough for farmers to reconsider and start growing food again. The destruction of the landscape, and the pollution from rubber farms are the main reasons!

[seajae]

where are the members who said the suicides were Yingluck fault?probably hiding under the bed

the rice farmers committed suicide because yl didnt pay them yet she kept promising to so they were led down the garden path by her and the ptp govt. This is a case of a farmer simply not happy about the price he gets for his product that he decided top grow, no one promised him he would make a fortune, nothing to do with the govt but world prices, totally different, YL simply didnt pay them what they were owed by her, try using fact and not bias so why should we hide, she was responsible for several deaths due entirely to her rice scam and continuing lies about paying farmers

[kaobang]

where are the members who said the suicides were Yingluck fault?probably hiding under the bed

the rice farmers committed suicide because yl didnt pay them yet she kept promising to so they were led down the garden path by her and the ptp govt. This is a case of a farmer simply not happy about the price he gets for his product that he decided top grow, no one promised him he would make a fortune, nothing to do with the govt but world prices, totally different, YL simply didnt pay them what they were owed by her, try using fact and not bias so why should we hide, she was responsible for several deaths due entirely to her rice scam and continuing lies about paying farmers

and this is facts?this is a tale dont make me laugh

so do you blame Suthep for this suicide as well?he promised a lot to rubber farmers

Edited December 26, 2014 by kaobang

[seajae]

It's the system we live in, we created. Some time for some it goes well.

Now it's over the top and big companies play powerplay.

Making deals to get what they want as low in prices then sell it in the expensive western market.

So high profits for companies and thats good, again for the richer ones.

Managers in greedy positions every where, just thinking me. Coz that is the system.

They dont care and are short term visioned, including any government.

We are growing to 10 billion people on this earth and is too much and who knows how to kill human better

than human itself? Humans!

There are so many done and on going studies about humans, so to know how to manipulate them and getting them down.

Total control is the issue and who cares hardworking people are dying, coz they cant survive.

With the same group of products which are lowered is banana's and cacao.

Farmers in South America, growing cacao, think they better can stop and that is a big market. No more chocolate anymore.

Thanx to the greediness of managers, as long as they can live well! It will get worse and many people will go down.

Saw a docu of an american farmer who grew strawberries, he had to bring money with him to sell it !!

So he decided better to take whole crops and destroy it, it was cheaper.

And so that happens a lot with food all over the world at auctions. They (buyers) want higher prices in market to make more profit.

So just throw away what is too much, maintain prices on a higher level. Our great system.!

Dictator in this system is United States! Any other country must follow.

Btw you think HIV, H1N1 and ebola comes from itself? I don't think it is, it's an invention by mankind and planted.

Mankind could be great, but it's dictated by scruples people and they own the plane

they all evolved in animals/birds. if you think africans having sex with animals is a US plot to spread aids then you really do have a problem..........

[seajae]

where are the members who said the suicides were Yingluck fault?probably hiding under the bed

the rice farmers committed suicide because yl didnt pay them yet she kept promising to so they were led down the garden path by her and the ptp govt. This is a case of a farmer simply not happy about the price he gets for his product that he decided top grow, no one promised him he would make a fortune, nothing to do with the govt but world prices, totally different, YL simply didnt pay them what they were owed by her, try using fact and not bias so why should we hide, she was responsible for several deaths due entirely to her rice scam and continuing lies about paying farmers

and this is facts?this is a tale dont make me laugh

only according to you and every other red/thaksin lover but dont let the truth get in the way of your rant

Edited December 26, 2014 by seajae

[kaobang]

where are the members who said the suicides were Yingluck fault?probably hiding under the bed

the rice farmers committed suicide because yl didnt pay them yet she kept promising to so they were led down the garden path by her and the ptp govt. This is a case of a farmer simply not happy about the price he gets for his product that he decided top grow, no one promised him he would make a fortune, nothing to do with the govt but world prices, totally different, YL simply didnt pay them what they were owed by her, try using fact and not bias so why should we hide, she was responsible for several deaths due entirely to her rice scam and continuing lies about paying farmers

and this is facts?this is a tale dont make me laugh

only according to you and every other red/thaksin lover but dont let the truth get in the way of your rant

red thaksin lover?watch your mouth.you are a son of propaganda who understand nothing in the administration of a government.i heard you suthep thugs see the world in black and white but..hopeless

[Fab5BKK]

No-body likes to see this kind of thing happening anywhere , however Khun Amnuay should stay focused on why he is Agriculture Minister and not get side tracked with personal side issues, This mentality of subsidies is undermining the true market price of the product , if Rubber farmers like Rice farmers cannot survive in the real world and have to resort to a subsidised price , sad to say , they are not competitive enough to operate.

"Not competitive enough to operate" - you aint really got a clue about a rubber plantation, have you? Be honest...

Whatever the business, when costs are higher than selling prices, there's something wrong with the business model(s)

Solutions:

1. Reduce costs

2. Increase the perceived value, then raise the price

If impossible, reconsider position

Edited December 26, 2014 by Fab5BKK