Short-term rice aid proposed

Phusadee Arunmas  Plan will limit crop production costs Measures to address low paddy prices and spiralling production costs are likely to be finalised tomorrow, but some farmers may feel a bit disappointed as neither cash handouts nor any other sort of compensation will be involved. The meeting between Gen Chatchai Sarikalya, deputy head of economic […]

Overhaul farmers’ subsidies, experts insist

  PHUSADEE ARUNMAS Market intervention should be last resort Academics and rice experts have repeated their calls for a major overhaul of farmers’ assistance and subsidy programme, saying market intervention should be the last resort to be applied by the government. “We don’t object to farmers’ assistance measures or any subsidies, as long as the […]

Grain of hope

Two farm economists offer rational solutions to helping rice farmers earn a living wage. By Sriwipa Siripunyawit  After six months of political drama and negative economic reports, the recent bulletin about rice farmers being paid for their pledged rice was a rare bit of good news. Smiles from poor rice farmers gave many in the […]