Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri insisted that the government will not scrap the rice price guarantee scheme, but will seek discussions with the National Rice Policy Committee on how to improve the scheme.

The government is under pressure to return to the pledging scheme.

Trairong will also investigate farmers' complaints on the insufficient number of rice-buying windows. He said if the complaints are proved true, he, through the Commerce Ministry, will urge rice millers to widen the purchase windows. If that is not enough, he would allow millers, not registered with the scheme, to join the purchase. 

"The pledging scheme involves corruption, and that's why we replace it with the guarantee scheme. We're through with corruption. We'd better stop it and move towards the new scheme," he said.

Vichien Pornlamchiak, vice president of the Thai Farmers Association, complained that the guarantee scheme helps only farmers whose rise contains no more than 15 per cent of humidity. However, most of Thai farmers' rice humidity is 25-28 per cent, which pressures the price below the Bt12,000 guarantee level.

 He noted that under the pledging scheme, rice millers could not pressure down the price.

 He also threatened to proceed with road blockade, to win the government's supports.

Source: The Nation