Officials inspecting government rice warehouses in Chonburi found no evidence of corruption, as stockpiles at all seven facilities matched reported levels.
Gov. Khomsan Ekachai led police and government officials in the June 27 checks at five warehouses in Chonburi City and two in Phanat Nikhom. The facilities hold rice purchased from farmers through the national government’s ruinous “rice-pledging” scheme that paid growers 50 percent more than market prices and resulted in US$4.4 billion in government losses, huge stockpiles of spoiled rice and rampant corruption.
Gov. Khomsan Ekachai led police and government officials in checks of five rice warehouses in Chonburi City and two in Phanat Nikhom.
Last month the government announced it would cut the price it pays farmers 20 percent to 12,000 baht per tonne and crack down on corruption, which usually took the form of government rice being secretly resold by warehouse employees and local officials. However, this week the government decided to keep the price at 15,000 baht per tonne, at least until September.
Chonburi’s inspections, held on the last possible day allowed by a government directive, found the province’s warehouses contained 84,394 tons of rice, matching the amount reported to have been purchased by the government. The stockpiled rice was also said to be in good condition, unaffected by the mold, fungus and pesticide-fumigation that has plagued so many exports that the United States has begun banning some Thai rice imports.
