Field corn growers in Thai North rally against low prices

NAN, September 26 (TNA) - As the protest of rubber planters has not yet ended in the Thai South, field corn growers are staging their rally in the Thai North to demand for the government's assistance, also due to their low produce prices. The protesting corn growers were blocking the Nan-Phrae Road on Thursday morning, which is the main road access to Nan province, after they started rallying at the Huai Nam Oun Checkpoint in Nan's Wiang Sa District, causing paralyzed traffic in connected areas. Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach and representatives of Nan later met representatives of the protesting corn farmers from Phayao, Nan, Phrae and Chiang Rai Provinces at the Provincial Hall of Nan to discuss possible ways out, compensation criteria and assistance. Most corn growers in the northern Thai provinces do not have land right documents for their plantations and the median price of corn at 7-8 baht per kilogram now is quite low for the farmers, as their corn fields lie on hills and they bear high costs for their corn transport. The meeting was expected to come up with an agreed solution. (TNA)