PM insists no hidden benefit in oil palm import

BANGKOK, 19 January 2015 (NNT) – The Prime Minister of Thailand has clarified that the 50 thousand tonnes of imported palm oil has no hidden agenda or benefits and is a short term solution for the shortage.

The Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has talked regarding the opposition from the palm oil farmers about the palm oil import of 50 thousand tons is intended as a solution to the shortage of palm oil in the market.

He has said that the government has predicted the shortage of oil palm in the near future as the oil palm farms have reached the end of the harvest season, while the domestic palm oil is being processed as biodiesel less due to the lower oil price that reduced the number of biodiesel users.

The government has planned to decrease the ratio of palm oil for biodiesel and increase the ratio of palm oil for consumption, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has also pointed that the import of palm oil from the neighbouring countries is merely a short-term solution for the shortage, and the government will halt the import as soon as the domestic production of oil palm is sufficient.

He has also reassured that there are no hidden benefits in this import deal.


-- NNT 2015-01-19

Time to end these cartels in palm oil, rice etc and bring some proper competition into the Thai market.....I'm tired of being fleeced for low quality goods....and seeing the same products at the same prices in numerous shops....there's no competition here...

Either way, it's just another nail in the coffin of the Orang-utan and several thousand hectares of rainforest.

Does Thailand have wild Orang-utan?

Not seen bio diesel on sale for a long time; where can you buy it? Btw diesel is pretty cheap here since the government caps the price at 30b a litre.

The ever recurring story.

Don't know how often I read this in the past years.

Same procedure as every year.

Burn the domestic oil in the stinking pickups and import it for food purposes.

Brilliant economic planning,

Tell you what?

All of that inferior unhealthy oil should be burnt to keep it away from the tables.

For Wilcopops. Importing palm oil might threaten the eco-structure of the wild orang-utan in Malaysia and Borneo. Link http://www.orangutan.org.au/palm-oil

I thougth the Palm farmers in the South were protesting about the low price of their produce last month - this import won't please Prayuth's supporters.

The ever recurring story.

Don't know how often I read this in the past years.

Same procedure as every year.

Burn the domestic oil in the stinking pickups and import it for food purposes.

Brilliant economic planning,

Tell you what?

All of that inferior unhealthy oil should be burnt to keep it away from the tables.

I'm confused. Are you saying palm oil should or should not be added to diesel? Are you claiming the imported palm oil is somehow of lower quality, or less healthy, than Thai oil?

BTW I don't buy it in either form.

Not seen bio diesel on sale for a long time; where can you buy it? Btw diesel is pretty cheap here since the government caps the price at 30b a litre.

No more govt diesel subsidies. Current price for diesel up here in the NE near the Laos border is 25 baht per litre. Gotta be even cheaper near BKK.