Democrat party asks government to help rubber growers

[webfact]

Democrat party asks government to help rubber growers

By Thai PBS Reporters

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat party sought help from the government for rubber growers who are suffering from falling rubber prices.

 

Key members of the party lead by secretary-general Chuti Krairiksh and deputy leaders Nipit Intharasombat and Sathit Pitudecha on Wednesday called on PM’s Office Minister Omsin Chivapruek with a petition addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha.

 

Nipit said the party would like the government to stabilize rubber prices on long-term basis through management of market mechanism. He said the government should stop releasing rubber from its stockpile and make use of the stockpiled rubber by instructing government agencies to use more rubber, such as, in road construction.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/democrat-party-asks-government-help-rubber-growers/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-06-29

[YetAnother]

looks like a headline grab by the dems; we hear this every year; if the rubber growers are in trouble, the calls should come directly from them

[Thechook]

Again, how many times do you need help?  Try another crop.

[worgeordie]

The Government could help,but the way they have been spending money,

the cheques may bounce.

regards worgeordie

[whatawonderfulday]

No support needed as the market will eventually bounce back

[Smarter Than You]

Methinks the Democrats have just woken up to the fact when the Prayuth forms a political party to contest the next election Democrat support will evaporate.

Getting into bed with the devil never ends well. 

[Srikcir]

On 6/29/2017 at 7:20 AM, Thechook said:

Again, how many times do you need help?  Try another crop.

As many times as needed!

 

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. They expected a payback from Prayut. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/782733-protesting-thai-rubber-farmers-defy-martial-law/

 

And got it with subsidies, government rubber buffer stock program (similar to Yingluck's rice pledge program) and soft loans. Prayut in response to large rubber farmer public protests and threat of continued protests got China to buy Thai rubber at higher than market prices and sell rubber for Russian weapons.
 

• In October 2015 Prayut told rubber farmers enough by "promoting them to grow supplementary crops, to raise domesticated animals or to do whatever so that they have extra incomes." No more subsidies. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/864605-pm-prayut-says-no-more-rubber-subsidies-or-price-intervention/

• Rubber planters in the 14 southern provinces responded with threats to rally again and warned, "they no longer are afraid of the military junta." http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/rubber-planters-threaten-to-rally-to-demand-help-from-government/

 

In January 2016 the government responded that it could not afford to subsidize rubber prices because there are many other farmers as well as non-farmers that the government would have to take care of.

 

• After former Democrat Deputy PM, former leader of PDRC and chairman of the PDRC Foundtion Suthep Thaugsuban asked for higher rubber subsidies, Prayut required ministries to allocate their budget to make room for the purchase of rubber products to increase domestic rubber consumption and the government to directly purchase rubber at prices which are higher current market price so as to alleviate the problems currently being faced by rubber planters. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885832-thai-cabinet-meets-to-discuss-rubber-prices/
• The southerners would get help first although Prayut was fully aware that all growers are suffering all the same. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886413-pm-prayut-defends-the-appointment-of-a-general-to-head-national-rubber-committee/
• As a follow-up farmers also received more compensation through an aide program and packs of rice.

Fast forward to today and rubber prices are falling despite Prayut's market manipulations.

 

Rest assured that Prayut knows the political value of the southern rubber farmers and workers who are part of Suthep's political base that has always delivered a majority vote for Democrats in elections. Prayut will continue to curry their favor. The same kind of favor the PTP had with northern rice farmers so condemned by the Democrats as vote buying.