BANGKOK, 18 Dec 2014 – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Amnuay Patise is confident that his ministry will be able to raise the price of third-grade smoked rubber sheets to 60 baht/kg by the end of this year. The minister is also preparing to visit rubber planters to raise their understanding about the Government’s sincerity and capacity in dealing with the issue.
According to Mr. Amnuay, the move on the new price, if achieved as planned, is considered faster than the ministry’s target. He expressed his belief that the rubber price issue would not be used as a political tool because the government was working to address the problem in direct coordination with planters’ representatives. A number of planters last week made a demand to the Government to buy their products at 80 baht/kg.
The minister also stated that steps are being taken to implement the Prime Minister’s suggestion to use rubber in the production of running tracks, tiles, roads, and other constructions as a way to boost the need and prices of rubber.
Mr. Amnuay said he was discussing with Finance Ministry officials a possibility of amending some laws that would facilitate more use of rubber and rubber processing without leaving rooms for corruption in the process.
Currently only 14% of rubber produced in the country is meant for domestic consumption.
