TRANG, – Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya, has travelled to Trang Province to observe the rubber purchase project in the province.
Gen Chatchai inspected the purchase activity in Wangwiset District and met with local rubber growers registering for the project to listen to their problems and suggestions. Gen Chatchai then visited a rubber co-op to witness rubber processing.
Gen Chatchai disclosed that rubber growers who discussed the problems with him were mostly small scale operators who preferred to sell natural rubber to the co-op. They also asked the government to increase its purchase quota.
The rubber purchase project is one of the government’s efforts to alleviate the effects of the price slump. The purchased rubber will be used in the construction of public facilities such as roadways. In Trang, around 50,000 rubber planters are taking advantage of the helpful project. More than 7,000 of them have already been paid. Some rubber-producing provinces have turned to edible plants and vegetables as another income source.
