Ten percent of the rice supply has gone bad
Ten percent of the rice the Yingluck government has bought from farmers over the past two years is spoiled or unaccountable. That is the state of affairs after inspections of 1.290 of the 1.787 warehouses where the rice is stored. In percentages: 72 percent has been checked and 80 percent of that is of good quality.
The figures were released yesterday by Chatchai Sarikallaya, deputy army chief and chairman of the Rice Policy and Management Committee, which was formed by the junta to determine the quantity and quality of rice bought under the mortgage system. A program of the previous government that has been plagued by corruption and has cost the country a fortune.
According to Chatchai, it is not necessary to get rid of the rice quickly. The time depends on the situation on the market in order to avoid influencing the price. The commission does not intend to reduce the mortgage system or introduce rice insurance.
The emphasis will be on encouraging farmers to grow quality rice, for which they can collect a decent price, and other crops.
At a committee meeting yesterday, Chatchai urged government departments to educate farmers about the junta's guidelines for solving their problems. They should put more emphasis on increasing yields and applying the economic sustainability principle. Chatchai ordered local authorities to quickly open agricultural information centers so that farmers can stay abreast of developments.
In border regions, the NCPO has set up centers that will buy agricultural products. They are intended to suppress the smuggling of agricultural products from neighboring countries. The NCPO has also asked Chatchai's committee to look at how cooperative systems can be strengthened. The committee must also come up with a plan for the sale of the rice stock.
Former Democratic MP Warong Detkivikorm thinks it is next to impossible to find out who is responsible for the spoiled or missing rice in the warehouses, because several services were involved. It will be difficult to find evidence against them.
A positive sound comes from the export front. After four months of decline, exports are starting to pick up again, thanks in June to the export of agricultural products. Since February, exports have risen again: on an annual basis by 3,9 percent to an amount of $ 19,8 billion. The newspaper does not mention which agricultural products were involved.
(Source: Bangkok Post, July 29, 2014)