The government plans to buy rubber from farmers at a purchase
price not exceeding 45 baht per kg.
The
projected price is about 15 baht lower than the set price
demanded by groups of
rubber farmers who are calling for 60
baht per kg, roughly double current
market levels.
On Tuesday the government agreed to buy
100,000 tonnes of all
types of rubber products directly from growers at an
above-market
price in an attempt to ease pressure on rubber
farmers.
A source close to a government committee
working on the
issue said the purchase price will be capped to be between
40-45
baht and the panel is negotiating with rubber growers
in the hope of positive
feedback. Pol Maj Gen Kraiboon
Suadsong, head of the government's working
committee for
negotiating with rubber farmers, said buying is expected to
begin
late this month.
EDITORIAL: Farmers must adapt
Pol Maj Gen Kraiboon, also chairman of the
Public Warehouse Organisation, said the committee has come up with the figures
which will be first reviewed and approved by a steering
committee on reforms
and reducing disparity in the farm and
agricultural sectors.
The official
purchase price is expected to be announced Thursday.
Pairote Ruekdee, a rubber
farmer in Surat Thani, on Wednesday
welcomed the rubber purchase scheme, but
warned that the price
should not be below 45 baht per kg. He said the latex
price
picked up from 25 baht to 30 baht per kg at the sign of
government government
intervention.
"Rubber growers find the scheme
acceptable. If the government
can't buy at 60 baht, at least it can help at 45
baht," he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called for
unity among rubber
farmers to help solve the issue.
Citing delays in the appointment of board
members to the
Rubber Authority of Thailand, Gen Prayut said discord among
rubber farmer groups who could not find common ground
caused the delay. Farmer
groups are divided, focused on their
own interest, and fail to look at the big
picture, he said.
"There should be one rubber association chairman, shouldn
't there? There
should be one rice association chairman?
But there are many of them and they
can't reach any consensus.
They don't look at the big.. and tend to focus on a smaller
scale,
" he said.
He also shrugged off calls for the removal
of Agriculture
Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya, saying the minister was not
the
problem and was doing his job in line with government policy
. Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra
said he has
instructed the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to support
the
use of rubber in its project and switch materials to rubber
where possible.
"The BMA is ready to support government efforts and plans to
buy more than
2,000 tonnes of rubber products at 40 baht per
kilo for its projects," he
said.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai member Surapong
Tovichakchaikul
and red-shirt leader Tida Tawornseth criticised the
government's rubber support scheme and called for transparency.
News,Politics,Bangkok Post,14 January 2016.
As government budget is limit and must use with many
project so the
price set to buy the rubber at 45 baht /kilo
is reasonable price for the rubber farmers in my
viewpoint.
And the rubber farmers should not forget that at the
time
when the rubber price is high they can make a lot of
profit
also.
Sincerely Yours.
Farmers are somewhat happy that the government surrendered
and gave them a higher-than-market price, but somewhat
unhappy that the price is not the 60 baht per kilo
they demanded.(Photo by Supapong Chaolan)
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