The government’s price pledging program for off-season rice kicked off on Sunday Throngs of farmers in Sukhothai province packed five mills to register for the government’s rice price pledging program which will buy up farmer's off-season harvests.
Under the pledging scheme, the price of paddy rice with a moisture level not exceeding 5 per cent is 11.8 thousand baht per ton. The project has been set to finish January 31.
In Pitsanuloke province, the sub-panel supervising the off-season pledging program inspected six rice mills participating the project in Muang , Prompiram and Bangkrathum districts to assess their readiness .
The panel expects these rice mills whether or not they are ready to buy off season paddy rice before March 25.
Meanwhile, participating rice mills in Uthaitahni province are still not ready to buy off off-season paddy rice from farmers because their storehouses are currently overstocked. They need to clear out the warehouses and make room for off-season rice first.
Chief of Kalasin’s Internal Trade Office, Siripong Wiwatkasemchai stated that Kalasin officials are not yet ready to opperate the off-seasoned rice price pledging program. He said that his agency is still waiting for documents that explain the program’s requirements.
Related agencies in the province are also instructed to remain vigilant and watch for smuggled rice from other countries. Smugglers may try to sell their crops under the new program, seeking marginal profits as the pledged price sells higher than true market value and the market value of neighboring countries.
Administrators are also required to implement preventive measures against mis-measurement of paddy rice moisture level to protect farmers from being cheated.
