Govt approves Bt89bn price-guarantee scheme for rice farmers
The National Rice Policy and Administration Committee on Monday approved a budget of Bt89 billion to guarantee the rice price for this year’s crop (2020/2021), said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.
Monday’s online committee, which was chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, estimated the budget would help 4.69 million rice-farming households.
Details of the scheme are as follows:
- Unmilled Hom Mali rice grown in the Northeast region is guaranteed at Bt15,000 per tonne, capped at 14 tonnes per household
- Unmilled Hom Mali rice grown elsewhere is guaranteed at Bt14,000 per tonne, capped at 16 tonnes per household.
- Unmilled short-grained rice is guaranteed at Bt10,000 per tonne, capped at 30 tonnes per household.
- Unmilled Pathum Thani rice is guaranteed at Bt11,000 per tonne, capped at 25 tonnes per household.
- Unmilled sticky rice is guaranteed at Bt12,000 per tonne, capped at 16 tonnes per household.
To be eligible, rice must have less than 15-per-cent moisture, while farmers must be registered with the Department of Agricultural Extension from April 1 to October 31 (or June 16, 2021 to February 28, 2022 for farmers in the South). The money will be sent to farmers’ accounts by the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives from October 15 onward.
