Cassava growers need help from govt

BURIRAM, Nov 12 (TNA) - Cassava growers in the northeastern province of Buri Ram have requested the government to intervene and prevent the price from falling lower than 2.50 baht per kilogramme and to also provide them a subsidy like it does to rice farmers. The cassava growers in Non Suwan district in Buri Ram are busy in collecting cassava and sell it although its price has declined to only 1.50 baht a kilo. They said they had to sell the cassava now because they needed money for their families. They asked the government or the Commerce Ministry to intervene and support its price from not falling below 2.50 baht a kilo. The growers also the government to provide financial subsidy, like it offers to rice farmers, because they need money to pay off debts owed to the state-run Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. There are more than 12,000 growers while total area of growing cassava is over 300,000 rai in the province. This year, it is expected about 1.2 million tonnes of cassava supply in the province will be released into the market. (TNA)