Thai rubber farmers threaten violence if government doesn't intervene
ERJ staff report (TP)
Bangkok, Thailand − Rubber farmers in Thailand took to the streets again on Monday to demand that the government buy their produce at prices higher than the market, Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat reported for Reuters.
They rejected a subsidy offered last month and threaten violence if their demands are not met.
Around 300 rubber farmers gathered in Bang-saphan district, around 300 km south of Bangkok, blocking a main road with trees and trucks, police said.
They want the government to buy rubber sheet from them at a price more than a third higher than the market value.
"If the government doesn't agree to our proposal, we will escalate the protest and it will be violent," Tossapol Kwanraud, one of the protest's leaders, told Reuters.
In September, after the same road was blocked by protesters, the government approved a budget of 20bn baht (€468m) to help rubber farmers cope with higher production costs.
It said it would provide rubber producers with a subsidy of 2,520 baht per rai (€58.85 per 0.16 hectare), limited to one subsidy per household.
Some farmers' leaders accepted that offer but even at the time other groups said it was not enough.
"It's not the right way to tackle this problem. The government should buy from us at prices that would help us have better income," Tossapol said.
The protesters want something like the government's rice intervention scheme, under which it buys grain at prices way above the market.
However, that programme, promised by the ruling party ahead of a 2011 election, is widely seen as wasteful and inefficient.
Police said they were trying to open negotiations with the protesters.
The price of Thai unsmoked rubber sheet is little changed from the end of 2012, held down by weak demand from China and other big consumers.
It is far below the 180 baht (€4.20) touched in February 2011, when benchmark smoked rubber sheet (RSS3) hit a record $6.40 (€4.64) per kg.
Thailand is the world's biggest rubber producer and exporter. It produces around 3.8m tonnes of rubber sheet a year, around a third of the world's output, and exports 90 percent of it.
This is an external link and should open in a new window. If the window does not appear, please check your pop-up blocking software. ERJ is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Full story from Reuters
This article is only available to subscribers - subscribe today
Subscribe for unlimited access. A subscription to European Rubber Journal includes:
- Every issue of European Rubber Journal (6 issues) including Special Reports & Maps.
- Unlimited access to ERJ articles online
- Daily email newsletter – the latest news direct to your inbox
- Access to the ERJ online archive