This year is the fourth anniversary since Thailand
designated June 5 as National Rice and Farmers Day. As Thailand has been the
world’s top rice exporter for a long time, questions about the future of
Thai farmers and their improved livelihood remain unanswered.
From the onset of the rainy season, farmers started
plowing to prepare the soil for seasonal rice planting in hopes of a good
price for their produce, which is now guaranteed by the government under the
rice mortgage scheme, beginning last year.
Despite some problems in implementing the plan, farmers
are generally satisfied with the government’s project.
“Taking into account higher rice prices in the market,
and farmer satisfaction, I believe the government’s rice mortgage scheme
must be considered successful,” said Yanyong Puangrach, Permanent Secretary
for Commerce.
“Losses that might be incurred by the government is not
the point, as the government aims to raise rice prices to increase farm
income,” Yanyong added. The government is confident that Thailand will be
able to retain the status quo as the world’s top rice exporter.
In the first four months of this year, Thailand ranked
first, exporting 2.7 million tons of rice. It is believed that each year,
there is demand for at least seven million tons of Thai rice, so the
country’s target to export 8.5-9 million tons is possible.
“Farmers are satisfied - to a certain extent - but it
must be admitted that some problems remain, such as delays in issuing
warrant documents in many areas,” said Prasit Boonchueay, chairman of the
Thai Rice Farmers Association.
“If the government cannot sell mortgaged rice, it won’t
have money to buy rice in the next round. Then, farmers have to sell their
rice produce to rice mills at low prices,” he said.
However, it needs more time to prove whether the rice
mortgage policy will be accomplished.
Under the rice mortgage scheme, management of rice
reserves in stockpiles is a difficult task as the government must strike a
balance between releasing rice in stock and preventing a drop in global rice
prices and at the same time; it must oversee rice prices in the domestic
market to prevent a rise that could hurt Thai consumers.
Although National Rice and Farmers Day was designated to
highlight the importance of farmers, the so-called backbone of the nation,
the future of Thai farmers remains uncertain.
According to a survey by the Thai Rice Foundation, the
number of farmers continues to drop. And 90 percent of farmer’s children -
the future of Thai agriculture - said they would not carry on their
forebear’s work in rice paddies.
Another threat to the future of agricultural occupations
is the issue of land. Rice paddies have changed into residential estates,
commercial buildings, and industrial factories. Many remaining rice paddies
belong to business investors and farmers become renters and workers on rice
farms that used to be their own.
Since the long ago past until now, Thai governments have
always had policies to increase farmers’ income and improve their quality of
living but to achieve the goal, more needs to be done seriously besides
price guarantees and rice mortgage schemes and designation of the National
Rice and Farmers Day. (MCOT)
