Thai rubber farmers protest at end of subsidy

ERJ staff report (BC)

Bangkok, Thailand – Thai rubber farmers held a protest in a southern province of the country, The Star has reported, quoting a Reuters source.

The farmers threatened national action in a bid to force the government to restart a stockpiling scheme buying rubber at above-market prices.

According to Reuters, the government previously spent 22 billion baht (€511m) under a programme that ended in May to buy 210 000 tonnes of unsmoked rubber sheet from local farmers. Thailand is the world’s largest producer of natural rubber.

The government has said it will not resume the intervention programme, which purchased the rubber sheet at 120 baht (€2.79) per kg, compared with a current market price of about 72 baht (€1.67).

About 1,000 farmers blocked traffic in Chauat district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, about 800km south of Bangkok.

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Full story from The Star