Rice growers threaten to protest banning of 18 strains of rice in pledging program

Published on March 22, 2013 by TFP   ·   No Comments

BANGKOK, 22 March 2013 (NNT) â€" Rice growers are asking that the government postpones imposing a limit on accepted strains of rice allowed to enter the rice-pledging program.

According to the Thai Rice Growers Association, some farmers were thrown into discontent after the National Rice Policy Committee revised its criteria for rice-pledging, banning the pledging of 18 strains of inferior-quality rice. The farmers had already invested in growing these strains for the year, and damage would be incurred if the government goes ahead with the banning of fast-growing rice strains. The association also viewed that the government was breaking its promise to rice growers with the revision, because the policy clearly stated that the pledging program would cover every grain of rice.

The association said rice growers will rally for a demonstration against the exclusion of the rice strains if the government insists on disallowing the strains into the pledging program.

The National Rice Policy Committee indicated that the criteria revision was aimed at encouraging a switch to higher quality rice strains, which would effectively increase the standard of Thai rice in general.

( นโม วนานุพงษ์)

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Source: http://www.news.thethailandlinks.com/2013/03/22/rice-growers-threaten-to-protest-banning-of-18-strains-of-rice-in-pledging-program/