Garlic growers in Thai North protest against price drop

MAE HONG SON, February 22 (TNA) - Garlic growers here rallied at the Provincial Hall Wednesday, demanding that the government take action to boost the prices of both fresh and dried garlic produce. Over 300 local garlic growers, representing a confederation of garlic agriculturalists in Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province, submitted the written demand to the government, through Mae Hong Son Deputy Governor Taweesak Wattanathammarak, urging the government to guarantee minimum prices of fresh garlic at 13 baht per kilogram and dried garlic at 45 baht per kilogram. The farmers also called for the government to intercept smuggled garlics from neighbouring countries, include garlic-related issues into Mae Hong Son's development plans and systematically explore more garlic markets for local growers. Meanwhile, over 1,400 garlic growers in Pai district, the largest garlic production area in Mae Hong Son, were scheduled to meet the Mae Hong Son Governor Wednesday afternoon to seek the government's action to guarantee their fresh and dried garlic prices at 12 baht per kilogram and 40 baht per kilogram respectively, from 5-6 baht per kilogram for fresh garlic currently, compared with the total production cost of some 8 baht per kilogram. The Pai garlic farmers threatened to block road traffic if the government turned a deaf ear to their demand. (TNA)