The government will revise the criteria for managing the next rice crop to head off public concerns about corruption in the rice pledging scheme.

It proposes closer inspection of farmers who pledge paddy exceeding 500,000 baht.

Yanyong Phuangrach, the permanent secretary for the Commerce Ministry, said a subcommittee of the National Rice Policy Committee had agreed to start pledging for the 2012/2013 season this October. He said the committee acknowledged concerns over corruption and malpractice in pledging for the past two rice crops.

The government is also considering installing closed-circuit TV cameras at mills to catch any potential fraud.

Some millers who joined the pledging scheme were accused of selling the rice on the market rather than keeping the paddy at warehouses, to maximise their profits.

Another complaint involves millers selling what they call quality rice to traders and replacing it with poorer quality grain.

A proposal to limit the amount which farmers could pledge was proposed last year by Prasith Boonchoey, head of the Thai Farmers Association, before the pledging programme was implemented. His proposal was turned down.

Mr Prasith said a volume cap would be an effective safeguard against cheating.

Source: Bangkok Post