BANGKOK, 25 June 2015 – In a bid to help boost farmers’ income, the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has requested agro-material producers and distributors to offer discounts on various raw materials during the upcoming farming season.
DIT Director-General Boonyarit Kalayanamit disclosed that agro-operators agreed to lower retail prices for four formulas of chemical fertilizers for rice farming by 40-50 baht per sack, for farmers in the capital and nearby provinces.
Fertilizers used for other types of plants will have a discount from 25-50 baht per sack. Distributors also decided to reduce the retail prices of pesticides by up to 10 percent. Providers of rice harvesting services were urged to charge farmers in the central region no more than 450 baht per rai.
Those in other regions will pay no more than 500 baht per rai. Talks held between the DIT and agro-companies were in response to a recent comment of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. He expressed concern for agriculturists affected by the prolonged drought.
The department expects reduced overhead for raw materials will lessen the problems faced by farmers and improve their quality of life.
