Thread: Rice farmers to protest against government

Luang poo demands money from lottery. lol

Breaking News Archives | Thai PBS English News

The Government Lottery Office Friday agreed to buy paddy from farmers who rallied at the office with several tons of paddy to end their blockade.

The office will pay 1.3 million baht for 112 tons of paddy.

Decision to buy paddy came after farmers, led by Luang Poo uddha-issara, dumped several tons of paddy at the office in protest after no officials came out to negotiate with farmers. They demanded the office buy paddy from them at 12,000 baht/ton.

A GLO officials told the abbot that that money would be given in form financial assistance to the monks’ foundation.

The monk had to advance the money from his foundation to farmers and his foundation would be able cash the cheque of GLO on March 26.

The farmers later agreed to end the blockade.

"Nice little lottery office you've got here. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it...."

Still the Elephant in the corner yet to be fully noticed....

Originally Posted by Necron99

Still the Elephant in the corner yet to be fully noticed....

It's been noticed. You're just not allowed to talk about it.

Originally Posted by Yasojack

Decision to buy paddy came after farmers, led by Luang Poo uddha-issara, dumped several tons of paddy at the office in protest after no officials came out to negotiate with farmers. They demanded the office buy paddy from them at 12,000 baht/ton.

This is of course in no possible way corrupt. It's just a normal PDRC business negotiation.

is this monk a re-incarnation of Luangta Maha Bua

TDRI says corruption in rice scheme exceeds 450 billion baht

in Business | April 1, 2014 (460 views)

• 

Corruption plagues the government’s rice pledging scheme in almost every step with damages during the past two years since the implementation of the scheme now exceeds over 450 billion baht.

The huge corruption figure was exposed by an academic of Thailand Development Research Institute at a seminar to reform the country’s prevention and suppression of corruption for sustainable success.

The TDRI academic Mr Niphon Puapongsakorn said the rice pledging scheme engaged corruption in every step of the scheme. It brought about damage which no one would lodge complaint because it engaged conflict of interest.

Throughout the past two years when the scheme was implemented, he said it inflicted damages of over 380 billion baht, excluding 45-75 billion baht damage

from the rice sale, adding total damage from corruption amounted to over 450 billion baht, or equivalent to 60% of total sum used for the rice-pledging scheme.

He said corruption still prevails through clandestine rice sale although the National Anti-Corruption Committee is undertaking investigation of several corruption cases involving the rice scheme

TDRI says corruption in rice scheme exceeds 450 billion baht | Thai PBS English News

In tomorrows news....mouthy Academic gets sued for defamation by everyone...

I hope he is wrong, thats a staggering level of corruption that he's suggesting there

That level of corruption would seem enough to topple most governments. Certainly embarrassing for the PM who just happens to be the Chairwoman of the rice committee

Don't think the hard working farmers will be so loyal in the future even if a decimal point is moved.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

from the rice sale, adding total damage from corruption amounted to over 450 billion baht, or equivalent to 60% of total sum used for the rice-pledging scheme.

How can 60% of the 'total sum' used for the rice pledging scheme have gone in corruption? Have 60% of theoretical rice stocks been stolen? Or has 60% of the money paid to farmers for their rice been stolen into private pockets? Or both? Or- what?

I hardly need point out the well know yellow bias of the TDRI. I have some knowledge of accountancy, and would like to see some sort of rational accounting. (on the plus side, at least the ridiculous figures of trillions of baht are no longer being bandied about).

What must be seperated are-
1- the losses due to subsidy (ie the difference between the pledged price, and the market price received). The govt's stockpiling of rice, and additional market losses incurred therefrom, was a colossal blunder- but unless specifically prohibited under the terms of the scheme (as indeed it should have been), not a corruption matter.
2- The losses due to outright theft- ie rice stocks that have disappeared, and/or money that is unaccounted for. Corruption is theft.
3- losses due to ineptitude- ie spoilt rice stocks. This is not necessarily corruption, but quite potentially malfeasance, ie a violation of the "Rice Councils" duty of care.
4- Last but not least, an apples with apples comparison to the losses incurred thru' the Abhisit gov't rice pledging scheme. This will be difficult short term, because the corruption complaints against that have been mysteriously held up within the CACC.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

TDRI academic

I'm afraid we are going to need much better from the TDRI before they warrant that description. Show us some accounting of how you arrived at those figures.

Price war seen as Thai rice glut swamps market

Asian rice prices will keep slumping from a near six-year low as Thailand clears out record stockpiles, threatening a price war with Vietnam and India.

• Published: 3/04/2014 at 06:12 PM
• Newspaper section: topstories

A farmer drives an e-tan in a rally to press the caretaker government to pay them money from the rice-pledging scheme. Thailand plans to dump rice from stockpiles to the world market. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

The government plans to sell about 1 million tonnes a month, compared with average monthly exports of 558,000 tonnes last year. The nation's benchmark price, which is already below cost in Vietnam and India, may retreat US$11 (352 baht) to $350 (11,375 baht) a tonne by May, the Thai Rice Exporters Association forecasts.

Thailand accumulated reserves under a state-buying programme which ended this year amid a political crisis. Its stockpiles reached 12.8 million tonnes in 2013, or about one-third of the global export market. Vietnam's minister of industry and trade said this week that Thailand was willing to sell the grain at any price.

"We could see a price war, with Vietnam cutting prices, selling lower than Thai rates," said Chookiat Ophaswongse, an honourary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

The 5% Thai broken white grade, used as a reference price in Asia, tumbled 30% to $394 in the past year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Thai grain is currently quoted at about $365 to $370 a tonne, lower than $385 in Vietnam and $420 in India, said Mr Chookiat. His forecast for $350 would be the lowest since December 2007.

Cheaper rice may contribute to lower food costs, helping to damp inflation across Asia, where billions depend on the staple. Global food prices tracked by the United Nations fell 2.1% in the past year. Thailand, India and Vietnam, the three biggest shippers, accounted for 62% of the rice trade last year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates. Rice is falling as wheat in Chicago rose 11% this year.

"Now that Thailand is selling from government stockpiles at cheaper rates, trade inquiries have stopped," said B.V. Krishna Rao, managing director of Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh-based Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt, India's largest exporter of non-basmati rice. India's export price needs to be dropped by $20 a tonne to be competitive against Thailand.

Thailand is short of funds to pay farmers under the now-ended programme, which is the target of an anti-corruption probe. The country's reserves more than doubled from 5.6 million tonnes in 2011, when the intervention began under the Pheu Thai Party administration, to 14.7 million tonnes this year, USDA data show. The programme, which paid farmers above-market rates for their crop, was designed to lift rural incomes.

While stockpile sales increase, dry weather in Thailand may curb harvests this year just as farmers adjust to the absence of guaranteed prices. The so-called minor crop, which runs to October, may contract 5% to 10.2 million tonnes, the Office of Agricultural Economics forecast March 25.

World demand is expected to rise 1.5% to 471.2 million tonnes this year, below production of 474.8 million tonnes, according to the USDA, which forecasts the ninth year of a glut. Thai shipments may expand 27% to 8.5 million tonnes as India's drop 4.8% to 10 million tonnes and Vietnam ships 7.5 million tonnes, 10% more.

''We will see heightened competition in the market because Thailand is quite eager to release the stockpiles,'' said Darren Cooper, a senior economist at the London-based International Grains Council. ''Thai prices have been falling steadily for the past year. We have seen some acceleration in the past few weeks, when it became clearer that Thailand needs to offload stocks to generate funds.''

The Philippines, Asia's largest buyer this year after China and Indonesia, will hold a tender for 800,000 tonnes on April 15. While Thailand will offer the full amount, it's concerned the sale is taking place as crops from Vietnam are coming onto the market and hurting prices, according to Surasak Riangkrul, director-general of the Department of Foreign Trade.

''Thailand is willing to agree to sales at any price,'' Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang said on Tuesday in a television broadcast. Vietnam's shipments dropped about 20% to 1.2 million tonnes in the first quarter.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating allegations that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was negligent for failing to stem losses from the programme. Ms Yingluck has defended the policy, a centrepiece of her administration, and is contesting the allegations.

The caretaker government has sold about 17 million tonnes of stockpiled rice since the programme began, according to data from the Commerce Ministry. State stockpiles are estimated at 10 million to 13 million tonnes, caretaker Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan told reporters on March 7. The administration plans to raise at least 8 billion baht a month from sales, Mr Niwatthamrong said.

Thailand will have spent 880 billion baht on rice under the programme from October 2011 to February 2014, according to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, including about 100 billion baht that hasn't yet been paid to farmers. The government has recouped about 200 billion baht through stockpile sales, according to the Commerce Ministry.

''If the government continues selling at low rates like this, that will help the country regain its position as the top exporter,'' said Mr Chookiat. ''At this low price, buyers who buy from India and Vietnam will switch to Thailand.''

Bangkok Post : Price war seen as Thai rice glut swamps market

Originally Posted by Norton

''If the government continues selling at low rates like this, that will help the country regain its position as the top exporter,'' said Mr Chookiat. ''At this low price, buyers who buy from India and Vietnam will switch to Thailand.''

.......................

Last year - "We'll corner the market!"
This year - "Closing down sale"
Next year? - "Millionaires Rodney, millionaires."

Another worrying issue is the 2 Trillion Baht the government need to push ahead with the national high speed rail network.

Bearing in mind the overwhelming success of their rice-pledging scheme, there are serious doubts whether they should actually be in charge of running a model-railway project.

This is more in their line. Ok, back on track.....................

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

Another worrying issue is the 2 Trillion Baht the government need to push ahead with the national high speed rail network.

Indeed. Dems have stated same. "Thailand not ready for high speed rail, yet".
Sip percent to the party that approves the budget a nice chunk of change. If Dems ever regain power, then and only then will Thailand be ready.

Rice scheme must go on hold, govt says
Anucha Charoenpo & Wichit Chantanusornsiri
21/04/2014

The caretaker government cannot continue its rice-pledging scheme in the main harvest 2013-2014, as it no longer has the authority to oversee the scheme, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong says.

Mr Kittiratt suggested the next government take care of the scheme to help farmers nationwide.

The minister on Friday testified as the last witness in a hearing before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in Nonthaburi province.

Mr Kittiratt insisted the scheme was accountable and transparent and that caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, as the chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee, had done everything by the book. The NACC is investigating whether she overlooked complaints of corruption.

The chairman of the Thai Farmers Association, Wichian Puanglamjiak, has asked the government to withdraw an additional 40 billion baht from the central budget to cover farmers' overdue payments.

Caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangrat has agreed to Mr Wichian's proposal, though Mr Kittiratt insists cabinet has yet to discuss it.

Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) approved the withdrawal of at least 20 billion baht from the central budget to pay the farmers.

Caretaker Deputy Finance Minister Thanusak Lekuthai said he personally backed Mr Wichian's proposal, but agreed the caretaker government had no authority to approve the budget.

Should the caretaker government be willing to consider the request, the matter would have to go to cabinet and be then submitted to the EC for approval, he said.

Mr Thanusak said the government had yet to acquire 90 billion baht in loans to pay farmers who sold their paddy between December 2013 and January 2014. The period concerns the main rice harvest season, which ran from October 2013 to February 2014.

"If the caretaker government can really withdraw an extra 40 billion baht from the central budget, it will be a good thing. But the question is, how can we seek the other 50 billion baht to pay farmers?'' he asked.

Meanwhile, Northern Farmers Network chairman Kittisak Rattanawaraha said farmers in the North were complaining about payments by the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).

Mr Kittisak said the BACC has offered a six-month debt moratorium for farmers affected by delayed rice payments, but some northern farmers claimed the bank has failed to abide by its offer.

It deducted their debts from the amount of money allocated by the caretaker government to them through the bank.

"Instead of receiving 200,000-300,000 baht from selling rice to the scheme, some farmers were left with only a few thousand baht after the bank deducted their debts. They told me the money they have left is not enough for them to pay off the loans they took out from loan sharks,'' he said.

Mr Kittisak said many farmers are still struggling. If the government languishes in caretaker administration mode, some could end up in desperate straits.

BACC's deputy managing director Somsak Kangtheerwat said the bank was deducting debts in some cases, but only with farmers' consent.

The six-month debt moratorium offered by the bank can be applied only to farmers who have not yet received any money under the scheme. BACC staff had discussed the debt deduction proposal with farmers and they understood what was involved.

bangkokpost.com

Still nothing as of today!

Hope this is just an isolated incident and we don’t hear about another person who took their life due to (in part?) the PT failed rice scheme (nonpayment).

ชัยนาท สลด! ชาวนาเครียดจัดไม่มีทุนทำนากินยาตาย

Chainat. Tragedy! Stressed farmer (from not having fund for farming) committed suicide by taking poison (ratsbane)

According to the news.

A man of 36 years old in Manorom District of Chainat province was sent to hospital after taking ratsbane on April 30, around 1 a.m.

His father said that his son hasn't been paid from rice pledging scheme since December 2013 for the money of more than 200,000 from 37 rais (rented farm). After he took the loan to do 20 rais rice farming and got only 5 tons of rice that he could sell only @ 5800 baht/ton. His stress was increased from all costs and debts incurred.

I mean that for everyone - we all need to move forward - but the ones with power and money need to the ones to start. Some have - in America - live Gates, Turner, Buffet and others. But you don't need cash - just the right attitude that says 'okay, let's build a better society that includes everyone.."

an update

The ruling means Yingluck will face an impeachment vote by the Senate. If found guilty by a three-fifths vote, she would be barred from politics for five years.

The anti-graft commission, one of several independent state agencies with powers similar to those of a court, is also looking into possibly filing criminal charges against Yingluck.

Thailand's anti-graft commission indicted ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Thursday on charges of dereliction of duty in overseeing a widely criticized rice subsidy program, a day after a court forced her from office.

Yingluck was accused of allowing the rice program, a flagship policy of her administration, to proceed despite advice that it was potentially wasteful and prone to corruption.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission's action had little immediate consequence following Yingluck's ouster from power a day earlier. But It is likely to further poison a badly polarized political atmosphere. Many of Yingluck's supporters already believe that the country's conservative establishment is bending the rules to take back power.

A consistent string of decisions by the courts and independent agencies such as the anti-graft commission against Yingluck and her political machine has eroded many people's faith in the rule of law, raising the possibility of heightened civil unrest. Grenades were fired Thursday night by unknown people at three targets associated with the royalist establishment.

Rallies planned by Yingluck's opponents for Friday and her supporters for Saturday will be a test of the political volatility.

The government lost billions of dollars on the rice subsidy plan, which also cost Thailand its position as the world's leading rice exporter as the artificially high prices forced the government to stockpile the commodity.

National Anti-Corruption Commission chief Panthep Klanarongran said the commissioners voted unanimously that there were enough grounds to indict Yingluck.

They said Yingluck, as head of government and in her capacity as chairwoman of the National Rice Policy Committee, failed to cancel the rice subsidy scheme despite learning it could pose a great risk to the country's fiscal status.

"The NACC had submitted letters to warn the defendant twice that the project would create problems and incur great losses, as well as allow corruption to take place throughout every step of the scheme," Commissioner Vicha Mahakun told a news conference. "Yet the defendant did not consider suspending the project as soon as she learned about the country's great losses from running the project."

The commission, however, said it was unclear whether Yingluck was involved in corruption or had allowed it to take place.

Criticism of the commission has focused on whether it is appropriate for a small unelected body, instead of voters, to sit in judgment of government policies.

The ruling means Yingluck will face an impeachment vote by the Senate. If found guilty by a three-fifths vote, she would be barred from politics for five years.

The anti-graft commission, one of several independent state agencies with powers similar to those of a court, is also looking into possibly filing criminal charges against Yingluck.

Its decision Thursday came a day after the Constitutional Court ousted Yingluck and nine Cabinet members for abuse of power over the transfer of the National Security Council chief in 2011 to another position. It ruled that the transfer was carried out to benefit her politically powerful family and, therefore, violated the constitution — an accusation she denied.

The ruling accomplished what anti-government demonstrators have sought to do for the past six months and further widened the country's sharp political divide.

The leader of the protesters, Suthep Thaugsuban, told his followers that they would stage a "final offensive" on Friday and would achieve their goal of fully ousting the government.

Yingluck's supporters, known as the Red Shirts, have called for a huge rally Saturday to show support for the government, which won a landslide victory in 2011 elections.

The rice subsidy program helped the government win the votes of millions of farmers. It accumulated losses of at least $4.4 billion and has been dogged by corruption allegations. Payments to farmers were delayed for many months.

Delayed?