Thai farmers' income up 15%

BANGKOK, July 12 (TNA) - Thai farmers' income has been on the rise, boosted mainly by more output and prices of major economic crops this year. Jariya Suthichaiya, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics, under the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, told journalists on July 11 that Thailand's farm income index rose by 15.01 per cent year-on-year during the first half of this year. Jariya attributed the increased income of local farmers to higher output and prices of major Thai economic crops during the January-June 2017 period by 9.68 per cent year-on-year and 4.86 per cent year-on-year on average respectively, thanks to relieving drought this year. Jariya said major Thai economic crops that had boosted local farmers' income during the first half of this year included paddy, sugarcane, oil palm, durian, rambutan, mangosteen and whiteleg shrimp. Jariya cited paddy and durian as examples, reporting that the income of Thai paddy farmers rose by 71 per cent year-on-year during the January-June period, cushioned by its increased output by 88.81 per cent year-on-year although its prices dropped by 3.84 per cent year-on-year on average respectively. The senior official echoed that income of local durian growers rose by 79.29 per cent year-on-year, bolstered by its increased output and prices during the first half of this year by 42.91 per cent year-on-year and 25.46 per cent year-on-year respectively. According to the senior official, about 60 per cent of the overall Thai durian produce was exported during the first six months of this year, with China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam being its major market. (TNA)