Farmers across Thailand are speeding up harvesting their rice to sell it to rice mills before the government’s rice pledging price cut from Bt15,000 to Bt12,000 per tonne takes effect at the end of June.
Farmers are worried they might not make profits, for the weather forecast predicts heavy rain until the end of the month.
The cabinet acted to slash the rice subsidy from Bt15,000 to Bt12,000 per tonne, effective June 30, and set the ceiling for rice purchases at Bt500,000 from each farming household.
Governors nationwide are meeting with local rice mill owners and managers to check their stocks and create understanding among them.
In the northern province of Phitsanulok, farmers have been selling their rice to 25 local rice mill operators from nine districts ahead of the deadline as they fear rice prices may fall due to the predicted heavy rain.
Meanwhile, farmers in Thailand’s northeastern province of Maha Sarakham also moved their paddy for sale at local rice mills for the current rice pledging price at Bt15,000/tonne.
Lamun Sipongying, a farmer in the provincial seat, said the rice mill where she sold her paddy today gave her Bt11,000/tonne of rice. She said that her rice was cheaper from the current pledge price at Bt15,000 because the value of the rice was deducted due to moisture in the grain. If the government is to lower the price guarantee to Bt12,000/tonne, she then fears that she will earn almost no profit.
