Commerce Ministry to sell products at discounts in Sakon Nakhon on Aug 9

NONTHABURI, Aug 7 (TNA) – The Commerce Ministry will start to sell consumer products at discounts for flood victims in Sakon Nakhon province on Aug 9. Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the “Blue Flag” consumer product fair for flood victims would begin in Sakon Nakhon to help reduce the cost of living of low-income earners and flood-affected people. It starts in Sakhon Nakhon because the province is the hardest hit. The fair will be repeated about ten times in other flooded provinces to distribute the assistance. Ms Apiradi also said that commerce officials were distributing bags of necessities to flood victims and inspecting the prices of consumer products in flood-affected areas to prevent unfair price rise. Flooding hits about 119,000 families in 22 provinces in three regions, comprising 14 provinces in the northeast, four provinces in the North and two in the Central Plain. Heavy damage on households was reported in Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen and Roi Et in the Northeast. About 1.34 million rai of farmland was flooded. Heavy agricultural damage is in the northern province of Phichit as well as Maha Sarakham and Sakon Nakhon in the Northeast. (TNA)