Prayut tones down stance on farmers' rally

One day after threatening legal action against a planned protest

by rubber farmers, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha used

his weekly TV programme to offer them an olive branch.

Gen Prayut on Friday called for patience from farmers as he

 outlined steps his government was taking in an attempt to

push up low rubber prices.

"Please don't pose conflicts. We will do our best to address

 the issues in the rubber sector," the prime minister said in

his Returning Happiness to Thai People broadcast.

The tone represented a reversal from Thursday when he

 angrily warned farmers of possible legal consequences if

 their protest went ahead.

Rubber growers have said they would rally on Tuesday

the office of the Rubber Authority of Thailand in Trang to

 demand government intervention to shore up plunging prices.

They said they would be joined by palm farmers. The price

of latex rose 50 satang to 29 baht per kilogramme on Friday,

while smoked rubber sheet remained unchanged at 32.50 baht,

 according to the Rubber Authority of Thailand.

 Prices have been declining steadily for the past two years,

 with occasional rallies.

Rubber sheet was trading around 60 baht per kilogramme,

which farmers consider their break-even point, in early 2014.

 

 Gen Prayut reiterated that his administration was not ignoring

 the farmers' plight but said solutions would take time.

"Rubber can be used in road construction and sports stadium

 construction. We have all these plans laid out, but they have

 to be studied first," he said.

Pairach Jeoychum, vice-chairman of the Rubber Farmers

Cooperatives of Thailand, said on Friday that the group would

 demand concrete measures o shore up prices and more

 government attention to the plight of growers at a meeting

in Trang.

"The government must promote more domestic demand for

rubber," he said, adding that traders had been favoured

 in government assistance more than farmers.

However, farmers do not appear to have a united front ahead

 of Tuesday's gathering.

 Kittisak Viroj, chairman of the Rubber and Oil Palm Farmers

 Association in Surat Thani, said on Thursday that his group

would go to Trang next week to try to disrupt the protest.

 He said organisers of the rally wanted to press the government
 to sell rubber now in stock to China, which would further
 depress prices.

But Pairote Ruekdee, a farmers' leader in Ban Song in Wieng
Sa district in Surat Thani, said on Thursday that his faction
 would pile more pressure on the government to restore
sagging prices as it had failed to solve the problem so far.

News,General,Bangkok Post, 8 January 2016.

 

As our rubber market is 80 % from China ,when the demand

decrease it can not avoid the low price.

 So to increase domestic demand is the right solution and

 there must be cooperation among the authorities and the

Ministy who involve about the issue.

 

For long run plan we should

 

1.Zoning the area to plant the rubber.

2.Increase domestic demand of rubber to more relate product.

3.Find opportunity to export to new new market .

4.Extension to use rubber to more product.

 

Sincerely Yours.