MOAC to hold ‘happiness’ campaign for living conditions

[Lite Beer]

MOAC to hold ‘happiness’ campaign for living conditions

BANGKOK, 17 January 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) will be gearing up its efforts solve public debt and will be implementing its campaign in providing better living conditions for farmers, said official.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ consultant Thawatchai Samrongwattana, the Minister has ordered all related agencies to proceed on three matters related with farmers' troubles which will be finished within this month.

The first matter is to solve farmer’s debt from past government projects that have remained unsolved for up to ten years, causing farmers to go bankrupt. The assessment on this matter has been completed and is now waiting to be presented to the cabinet next week to help bring these troubled farmers to be able to go back to their occupation.

The second matter is the upgrade of all agricultural markets in all provinces to become permanent or semi-permanent markets. The Ministry has ordered the related agencies to keep an account all selling items and regularly inspect them. The MOAC will consider establishing companies to manage these markets and make sure the income goes back to farmers.

The third matter is the welfare and benefit of farmers, which is still under consideration and is expected to be ready for the cabinet’s deliberation within this government’s term.

The MOAC Minister’s consultant has said that these three matters will directly aid the public and help driving the agricultural sector forward in an orderly fashion.

He has mentioned that the number of farmers has been decreasing as the younger generation prefers to work in companies. He has said that he wishes to bring the younger generation back to agricultural sector as Thailand is an agricultural country.

-- NNT 2015-01-18

[Somtamnication]

Wonder when the "corrupless" "head in the sandless" and "stop dreaminless" campaigns will start?

[PatOngo]

[honoluludave]

They are going to have a hard time getting the younger generation back on the farms. Farming is hard, hot, dirty work for little money. They see how hard it is for their parents and with a little education they want a better life. A steady pay check sure beats debt, drought and fluctuating crop prices

[marinediscoking]

How about breaking the small monopoly of greedy middle men that control every grain of rice leaving Isaan instead of all this happiness bull we now have to put up with daily. It is amazing how many checkpoints there are on the roads leaving that region. If the per kilo price paid to farmers was anywhere near the market price, they would not be in the mess they are in now. There has always been happy talk for the last 40 years how to fix this but seems the middle men hold to much power to allow any change. Yingluck may have had her problems trying to help the farmers but at least she didn't just put out nonsense babel as above and tried something. I know.. incompetence and corruption from the yellow and junta groupies will be coming, but it seems the farm subsidy program was constantly trying to be derailed by the political opposition and the banks at every turn.

This statement today reminds me of Unicorns and rainbows for them.

[Number1SuperGuy]

This is the very reason why authoritarian coups fail in the long run. The bombastic and tyrannical leaders censor, oppress and restrict all contrarian public comment, then make ridiculous claims and implement flawed policies, then assert their own wonderfulness and astounding success and then foolishly belief the resounding silence from the public to be complete and total support from the public of their brilliance. Who on earth thinks individual happiness can bestowed by a government campaign - only the Generals are deluded enough to believe these campaigns work and it will be their downfall.

[chainarong]

This sort of B/S should be confined to the waste bin.

[worgeordie]

There seems to be a need to roll out N.Korean,Chinese propaganda,

schemes. like " you WILL be happier" ,surely the farmers have been

helped enough,with the majority of the population having to pay a lot

more than the world market price for rice,a daily staple food.

Year after year farmers keep growing rice,working hard,and they still

end up in debit at the end of the day,surely someone can come up

with a viable solution to this problem,that does not involve subsidies

that every year cost taxpayers Millions/Billions?

regards Worgeordie

[jaywalker]

"He has said that he wishes to bring the younger generation back to agricultural sector as Thailand is an agricultural country."

Sounds like Pol Pot.

[rickirs]

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There seems to be a need to roll out N.Korean,Chinese propaganda,

schemes. like " you WILL be happier" ,surely the farmers have been

helped enough,with the majority of the population having to pay a lot

more than the world market price for rice,a daily staple food.

Year after year farmers keep growing rice,working hard,and they still

end up in debit at the end of the day,surely someone can come up

with a viable solution to this problem,that does not involve subsidies

that every year cost taxpayers Millions/Billions?

regards Worgeordie

Thai rice farmers have the most costly rice in SE Asia that gives them the lowest profit margins, or losses in some cases. Year after year they keep growing in the same way at the same high cost despite worsening waether and lower market prices from competition. Having the Junta continously throw financial gifts to the farmers as it is now will not create economic sustainability but financial dependence.

[rickirs]

Here's an idea.

Military service in Thailand is mandatory but a person can choose to serve in the public sector instead of the army. Why not create a youth agricultural corps that will assist farmers in cultivation, growing, and harvesting crops? Pay, transportation, room, and board would be financed by the government - cost would be the same if they had instead became soldiers. This assistance would help the farmer's profits and provide youth with gainful employment.