Farmers nationwide have threatened to block four major highways if the government sets the guarranteed buying price for rice at only 10,000 baht per tonne.

Wichian Puanglamjiak, vice-president of the Thai Farmers Association, said on Monday the government earlier rejected the association’s request to extend the 2008-09 rice crop  mortgage scheme for one month,
The government argued that farmers could instead sell their rice in the 2009-10 cycle, that starts  on March 16.

However, the association had learned the government would reduce the guaranteed price for rice from 12,000 baht per tonne to 10,000 baht. Rice farmers throughout the country were frustrated by the decision.

Registered members of the farmers association would protest by blocking four national highways if the government does not reconsider the new price.

If the government remained ambivalent about the problem of low prices for rice, the farmers would then move their protest into Bangkok, Mr Wichian said.

Source: Bangkok Post