Rice farmers in southern Thailand protest price cut

SONGKHLA, June 23 (TNA) - Farmers in Thailand’s South on Sunday held a protest against the government decision to cut rice prices under rice-pledging scheme, demanding the government to maintain prices until this November 30. Farmers in the three southern provinces of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla assembled in Songkhla’s Ranot district opposing the government’s decision to slash paddy prices to 12,000 baht per tonne from 15,000 baht under the programme which becomes effective June 30. They set up a platform and attacked the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The protesting farmers also issued a joint statement demanding the government to maintain paddy pledging prices until November 30, citing that rice farming during off season in the South is delayed due to late rainfall in the region every year. Meanwhile, farmers in the northern district of Bang Mun Nak of Phichit province are harvesting rice to enable them earn the present pledging prices as they have only six days left before new prices come into effective. Also, they are worried that paddy would become destroyed because of heavy rains in the area. While farmers are upset by the reduction of the pledging price, an independent Suan Dusit Poll conducted a survey among 279 business executives and bankers in Bangkok and surrounding provinces and found that majority of the respondents wanted the government to plug loopholes including rampant corruption in the programme. Most respondents also wanted the government to fix paddy pledging prices almost equal to market prices, aimed at maintaining monetary stability in the country. (TNA)