Farmers call on PM to invoke Article 44 to boost rubber use

[webfact]

Farmers call on PM to invoke Article 44 to boost rubber use 
By Khanitta Sitong
The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Southern Rubber Farmers Network want Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to invoke the total power afforded him under the interim charter's Article 44 in a bid to solve problems associated with falling rubber prices.

 

Network chairman Pratob Suksanan said he would soon lead five rubber farm leaders from the South to submit their petition to the premier via Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan at the Defense Ministry in Bangkok. 

 

The group wants the premier to use Article 44 or a Cabinet resolution to promote the use of rubber, starting with road construction, as it believes doing so would solve the problem systematically without the government having to intervene in rubber pricing directly like before. 

 

The group has prepared a five-measure proposal, including requiring all government units to have a 5 per cent ratio of para-rubber in asphalt mixes for all road construction/repair projects, starting from the fiscal year 2018. 

 

They also want the Highway Department and the Department of Rural Roads to work with the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) to carry out research, sponsored by RAOT funding, on how to effectively use more than 5 per cent of rubber in the asphalt mix. 

 

Another proposal is to have the RAOT launch a public relations campaign to try and convince related state agencies in high-potential countries, such as the US, China, India, Canada, Europe, and Mexico, to use rubber in road construction. 

 

The final proposal involves the Highway Department and the Department of Rural Roads providing sufficient tools to test the quality of rubber to be added to the asphalt mix, or the RAOT establishing centres to provide such a test service.

 

The group claimed that roads paved with asphalt using rubber are 200 per cent more durable than normal asphalt roads but but only cost 17 per cent more.

 

It said the 5 per cent rubber requirement in the mix would boost demand for para-rubber use to 100,000 tonnes per year. 

 

Para-rubber prices are currently at about Bt42 per kilogram for latex and Bt52 per kilogram for smoked rubber sheet.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30319238

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-27

[JoePai]

Just wave the magic 44 wand and all will be well - beats Harry Potter   

[Kasset Tak]

The road "ONLY" get 17% more expensive with para rubber, the farmers must be crazy when they use only in that sentence...

[DM07]

Farmers call on PM to invoke Article 44 to boost rubber use 

 

...to boost rubber use???

Oooooooh, I am such a child, sometimes!!!

 

[Cadbury]

I get a whiff of a rubber subsidy coming up which should nicely benefit the "middle men" as opposed to the growers.

The PM will need to invoke Article 44 to give himself immunity from any potential losses. 

[fruitman]

35 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Farmers call on PM to invoke Article 44 to boost rubber use 

 

...to boost rubber use???

Oooooooh, I am such a child, sometimes!!!

 

Maybe that's why the army is closing the sexclubs in Pattaya, they don't use enough rubber there.

[speedtripler]

Thai farmers begging again.... Either  grow something the market is willing to buy or come to bkk and drive a tuk-tuk because farming doesn't pay enough.... 

 

If they know the roads would be 200% stronger if they were constructed with rubber they should have no trouble finding work as engineers anyways.... 

[Eric Loh]

Clearly there are big problems using rubber for road building. It has been 2 years when this idea was mooted and has not gain any traction. Some say that our rubber is not suitable for road building and some say the cost of using rubber will not justify the economic. 

 

Using for road building will not lift prices as it represent only a small fraction of the rubber stockpile. The problem really is soft demand, competition from alternatives and large supply here and from Vietnam and Indonesia.

 

Unlike rice where demand still outstripped supply, rubber face a dim future. The government will do better to reduce the plantation, re-train the farmers and pour more money to develop other industries.

[Smarter Than You]

It appears quite a few spot-fires are breaking out for the Junta - politics is a tough game, you can never please everybody and the longer you go the more enemies you accumulate.

I think the odds are, had they let things run their natural course, even Thaksin would have been voted out by now.

 

 

 

[robblok]

An other bunch of farmers asking for handouts and things to change. If the rubber makes roads 17% more expensive then its really not worth it. You can't force markets and control market prices. YL found that out the hard way with the rice failure. Farmers should learn to live without constant aid I dont see why normal people should always help pay for the farmers. 

[Smarter Than You]

15 minutes ago, robblok said:

An other bunch of farmers asking for handouts and things to change. If the rubber makes roads 17% more expensive then its really not worth it. You can't force markets and control market prices. YL found that out the hard way with the rice failure. Farmers should learn to live without constant aid I dont see why normal people should always help pay for the farmers. 

In 1870 50% of the US workforce were employed in agriculture; fast forward to 2008 and agriculture employs just 2% of the US workforce.

This pattern is repeated in pretty much all developed countries.

Currently, in 2017 Thailand, about 40% of workforce are in agriculture.

Why do you think that is?

Why has Thailand not had the same success?

The answer is not difficult, I'm sure if you remove the blinkers, you'll be able to nut it out.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, Smarter Than You said:

In 1870 50% of the US workforce were employed in agriculture; fast forward to 2008 and agriculture employs just 2% of the US workforce.

This pattern is repeated in pretty much all developed countries.

Currently, in 2017 Thailand, about 40% of workforce are in agriculture.

Why do you think that is?

Why has Thailand not had the same success?

The answer is not difficult, I'm sure if you remove the blinkers, you'll be able to nut it out.

Simple.. education. Plus as long as there is no force and farmers are constantly helped out there is no reason to change. 

[Smarter Than You]

7 minutes ago, robblok said:

Simple.. education. Plus as long as there is no force and farmers are constantly helped out there is no reason to change. 

The farmers love living under the poverty line so much they wanted the same for their children?

 

Education is a good start.

Why are rural Thais lagging so far behind their Bangkok counterparts when it comes to education levels?

[robblok]

17 minutes ago, Smarter Than You said:

The farmers love living under the poverty line so much they wanted the same for their children?

 

Education is a good start.

Why are rural Thais lagging so far behind their Bangkok counterparts when it comes to education levels?

Mate do you really think that the change in the US was voluntary and went without financial force ?. The longer people keep paying of farmers the less likely change is. As for education quite simple (as in most countries) you have to move to a bigger city to get university education. Its not available everywhere. That is why many live in dorms in and around BKK.  That is a hurdle but most that i know have taken that hurdle.. don't forget student loans and such. I know of quite a few ladies who were not from BKK but studied in BKK and lived in dorms. 

[Smarter Than You]

10 minutes ago, robblok said:

Mate do you really think that the change in the US was voluntary and went without financial force ?. The longer people keep paying of farmers the less likely change is. As for education quite simple (as in most countries) you have to move to a bigger city to get university education. Its not available everywhere. That is why many live in dorms in and around BKK.  That is a hurdle but most that i know have taken that hurdle.. don't forget student loans and such. I know of quite a few ladies who were not from BKK but studied in BKK and lived in dorms. 

So you believe that there is sufficient means and opportunity for Thailand's 15 million farmers to move to Bangkok, study hard and get good non-farming jobs?

 

You think he reason Thailand has so many millions of people effectively subsisting off small plots of land is because generation after generation of rural Thais have just been too lazy too move to Bangkok and start living the high life?

 

Do you think that just maybe... neglect of the regions by government after government for decade after decade contributed to the situation?

[Emster23]

Maybe should make some rubber rooms to keep these people in....

Next up: Use article 44 to change the tides, help the fishermen out

[Jonmarleesco]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The group claimed that roads paved with asphalt using rubber are 200 per cent more durable than normal asphalt roads but but only cost 17 per cent more.

So we could bounce over the ruts and bumps? Might save some petrol costs.

 

But before much longer, S44 will be the new democracy.

[Hereinthailand]

As long as oil prices stay low synthetic rubber will be used just an economic fact they somehow dont get, or maybe they dont know there is such a thing.

[Ace of Pop]

So you believe that there is sufficient means and opportunity for Thailand's 15 million farmers to move to Bangkok, study hard and get good non-farming jobs?
 
You think he reason Thailand has so many millions of people effectively subsisting off small plots of land is because generation after generation of rural Thais have just been too lazy too move to Bangkok and start living the high life?
 
Do you think that just maybe... neglect of the regions by government after government for decade after decade contributed to the situation?

Why do Ferangs call Farm Workers Farmers. Thais do I know, but then they know who is who in the pecking order of Village Life.Some look like Worzel Gumage , or the Beverly Hillbillies, poor they ain't.Only the Farmhands struggle a bit paying for their new Mo Cy[emoji965]?


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[mjef]

This is what happens when you open the can of worms!

[rijb]

How many of these farmers have encroached on government land to grow these trees?  And then expect the government to bail them out?

[williamgeorgeallen]

rubber price falls, stop farming it and do something else. the world of supply and demand keeps production and consumption in balance. mixing in politics throws it out of balance.

[patyh]

Why stop at using rubber with asphalt? Why not recycled plastic which is so much more economically friendly? 

 

Oh wait, self-interest... 

[JayBird]

Is there a reason they are producing rubber when there is no demand? As in required to by government, license, no other suitable crop for that land?

[halloween]

20 hours ago, Smarter Than You said:

In 1870 50% of the US workforce were employed in agriculture; fast forward to 2008 and agriculture employs just 2% of the US workforce.

This pattern is repeated in pretty much all developed countries.

Currently, in 2017 Thailand, about 40% of workforce are in agriculture.

Why do you think that is?

Why has Thailand not had the same success?

The answer is not difficult, I'm sure if you remove the blinkers, you'll be able to nut it out.

One post you're all against the agrarian revolution (what about the 15 million farm workers??), the next you're telling us how it made the US and other developed countries great. Do you think US farm workers were given any special treatment as they were made unemployed by technology?

Should we stop Thailand moving to a technology economy because farm workers aren't educated enough to apply?

[Smarter Than You]

4 minutes ago, halloween said:

One post you're all against the agrarian revolution (what about the 15 million farm workers??), the next you're telling us how it made the US and other developed countries great. Do you think US farm workers were given any special treatment as they were made unemployed by technology?

Against the agrarian revolution or just pointing out the fact that it took a long time and government involvement and  leadership to achieve.

 

Was the US government actively involved in the process of industrialising the nation - yes it was.

Have Thai governments, particularly those before Thaksin, done much too promote, assist or encourage a Thai agrarian revolution - no they haven't.

 

4 minutes ago, halloween said:

Should we stop Thailand moving to a technology economy because farm workers aren't educated enough to apply?

That was Korn's question wasn't it.

Reading between the lines I think Korn believes spending a few dollars improving education opportunities for the poor would benefit the nation more than screaming off into the future and leaving the majority of Thais stuck in the dark ages.

At the very least Korn believes the farmers should at least be consulted.

 

 

 

 

 

[lvr181]

A magic wand and the appropriate amulet may help also?     OMG!