SURIN, 3 June 2014 — Farmers in Surin have finally received their overdue payments from the rice pledging scheme. The amount of cash already paid out was to the tune of 6.5 billion baht; approximately 71% of the farmers who participated in the program have been paid so far.
According to Surin Internal Trade official, Niwat Namwongsa, the province has paid the farmers through 21 branches of local Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative (BAAC).
Approximately, 71 percent of the 100,185 farmers participating in the rice pledging scheme in the province have been paid a combined total of 6.5 billion baht. The Office, however, needs another 2.6 billion baht to pay the rest of the farmers.
The entire payment is expected to be finished by the end of this June. Farmers in the province are usually required to invest a considerable of money in each farming season. Those with no cash on hand more often than not acquiesce to taking out loans from loan sharks, who usually charge them inordinately high interest rates.
