BANGKOK, Oct 13 — The government will go ahead the rice pledging scheme and would speed up the release of rice from stockpiles, according to Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom.
Mr Boonsong stood in for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the premier’s weekly televised programme “Yingluck Government Meets the People.”
Also appearing on the programme were President of Thailand Trade Representative Olarn Chaipravat, Fiscal Policy Research Institute Foundation Director Kanit Sangsubhan, Permanent Secretary for Commerce Vatchari Vimooktayon, and Department of Foreign Trade Director General Pranee Siriphand.
The premier reportedly assigned the officials involved to join the programme to clarify the benefits of the government’s rice pledging scheme to the public.
Mr Boonsong said the rice pledging scheme could help improve farmers’ quality of life.
He also affirmed that the government would speed up the release of rice in its stockpiles in order to have more space for the next round of rice pledging scheme.
The government has continuously released rice from its stockpiles via auctions, and government to government or G to G deals, he said, adding that relations between the government and rice exporters remained strong.
Ms Yingluck earlier this week reassured the public that the government’s rice pledging scheme would not cause further losses but would benefit farmers.
The premier emphasised that her government did sell rice through government-to-government deals to other countries including some ASEAN countries. Initially, more than 8 million tonnes of rice have been delivered. The details, however, could not be disclosed.
