NAKHON SAWAN, Aug 12 – Seven million tonnes of paddy will be sold to the government under the rice pledging scheme in the current harvest season ending September 15, according to deputy commerce minister Yanyong Phuangrach.
He said yesterday that tighter rice purchase measures have minimised malfeasance in the subsidy scheme, especially the smuggling of rice from neighbouring countries to be sold to the government under Thai farmers’ names.
Mr Yanyong said government agencies have yet to decide on the purchase price, originally set at Bt15,000 per tonne, for the next harvest season.
The government encountered strong protest from farmers recently when it announced a reduced pledging price of Bt12,000 per tonne. It eventually reversed the decision.
The deputy commerce minister said the government, in maintaining the pledging price at Bt15,000/tonne, may have to limit the purchase volume.
If the government wants the scheme to reach as many farmers as possible, the purchase price must be lower, he added.
Whatever measure the government offers, it will upgrade the marketing standard of Thai rice and contribute to competition, Mr Yanyong said.
He said the government plans a new auction of 100,000 tonnes of 5 per cent white rice and 100,000 tonnes of fragrant rice and glutinous rice for local consumption and export.
Mr Yanyong welcomed private sector quality inspection of rice to-be-auctioned, and called on interested bidders to apply at the Foreign Trade Department on August 19.
