Thai farmers rally at Government House to oppose reduced rice pledge price

BANGKOK, June 25 (TNA) - Representatives of three rice farmers’ associations and rice farmers from 15 Thai provinces rallied at Bangkok's Government House on Tuesday morning to express their opposition to the government’s recent decision on cutting its rice pledge price from 15,000 to 12,000 baht per tonne. The protesting rice farmers, led by Prasit Boonchoei, President of the Thai Rice Farmers Association, Wichian Phuanglamjiak, President of the Thai Agriculturist Association, and Phuti Srisamutaranak, President of the Thai Farmer Support Association, marched from the Royal Plaza to the nearby Government House. The farmers' representatives then submitted the open letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is also the Chairperson of the National Rice Policy Committee, requesting her administration to extend the old rice pledge price of 15,000 baht per tonne until the harvest of the second rice crop in November 2013 for paddy fields in the Thai South and until September 2013 for paddy fields in other regions. Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Varathep Rattanakorn and Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom received the letter on behalf of the prime minister. The commerce minister told the farmer representatives that the National Rice Policy Committee is expected to discuss the issue on June 28. The farmers then ended the rally, after their leaders announced that they would give the government seven days to come up with a satisfactory reply; otherwise, they will plan their next movements. (TNA)