BANGKOK – The Cabinet has given the green light to the plan under which 100,000 tons of rubber will be bought at 45 baht per kilogram from January 25 onwards.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya revealed that the Cabinet has agreed to his ministry’s proposal to purchase up to 100,000 tons of rubber directly from farmers under a total budget of 4.5 billion baht, or at a price of 45 baht a kilogram. Starting on January 25, the Rubber Authority of Thailand, on behalf of the government, will begin accepting all types of rubber from planters across the country.
In the meantime, the Bureau of the Budget, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Council of State have been assigned to determine where the 4.5-billion-baht budget should be allocated from.
On the other hand, Mr Opat Klunbutr, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives, voiced concerns over the execution of the newly-approved rubber purchase plan. He claimed the current rubber subsidy scheme, which entitles rubber farmers to 1,500 baht per rai, is still faced with problems, particularly in the disbursement process.
