Rice farmers in Thailand are asking the military government to come up with a new market intervention scheme to stem the decline in prices of the grain.
The previous price-support scheme floated by former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ended in February after causing billions of dollars in losses to the government and leading to an estimated 90 billion baht (S$3.5 billion) in unpaid dues to farmers.
The Thai military, which seized power in May after months of political turmoil, is moving to pay the arrears. A senior finance ministry official said on Tuesday the ministry has secured a loan for 50 billion baht to pay farmers.
But farmers said more needed to be done for them. "We still need the government's price supporting scheme. It may not be the same as Yingluck's scheme, but it could be a new measure to help farmers when prices are falling," Prasit Boonchoey, head of the Thai Rice Farmers Association, told Reuters.
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