NAKHON RATCHASIMA, 18 February 2014 Rice growers visited Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) branches throughout the country on Monday to claim the rice mortgage payment the government owed them .
With the new round of money transfer to the BAAC, made by the government, BAAC branches were able to re-start payment of money owed to the farmers.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, farmers visiting the BAAC on Monday told reporters they will use the money received to pay for fertilizers, and harvester, and truck rental. Pranao Sunthonphakdi, manager of the BAAC’s Phimai branch, said the Nakhon Ratchasima branches still needs 496 million baht more to pay farmers who participated in the government’s rice pledging program.
In Buriram, a total of 108 million baht has been transferred to the 22 BAAC branches in the province. So far, 1.287 billion baht has been paid to around 13,000 paddy farmers in the province. Around 70,000 farmers are still waiting to be paid.
Rice growers reportedly visited the BAAC branch in Chainat province on Monday; however they were not there to demand their mortgage payment, but were there only to withdraw money in their savings accounts to pay for various expenses.
