Rice scheme: Unattractive failure?

Only 5.3 million of 25 million tonnes of rice sold to govt. Flood losses don't explain why no one is choosing the govt programme.

Read last week's story on falling world rice prices here.

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Democrats brand rice scheme a failure by King-Oua Laohong & Sonthanaporn Inchan

The Democrat Party yesterday called the government's rice mortgage scheme a flop and urged the public to keep a close eye on it as signs of irregularities begin to emerge.

Democrat MP for Phitsanulok Warong Dejkijwikrom said the scheme, which replaced his party's price guarantee programme, has failed to help farmers.

He cited the amount of paddy rice pledged since the start of the scheme on Oct 7 last year. As of Jan 16, only 5.3 million tonnes of paddy, out of an estimated 25 million tonnes, has entered the mortgage scheme.

There are about six weeks to go before the scheme ends. 

Let's say the flooding destroyed about five million tonnes of output. But with 5.3 million tonnes of rice, there is a large amount of rice that has gone missing. 

"It shows the scheme is a failure. The money doesn't get to the farmers," Mr Warong said. 

Mr Warong also said he has received numerous complaints about farmers being exploited by rice millers. 

He said with only 820 rice mills taking part in the scheme, farmers do not have much of a choice when it is time to sell. 

Some have agreed to sell below the set price to buyers who show up at their farms so that they do not have to pay transportation costs, he said. 

The Democrat MP said the rice mortgage scheme is also open to abuse.

Some millers have hoarded large amounts of rice they bought at low prices and exploited the scheme. 

Meanwhile, rice millers are urging the government to brace for a possible drop in rice prices in the next three to five months. 

Wattana Rattanawong, honorary president of the Thai Rice Millers' Association, said rice prices are likely to plunge when the second and the main crop hit the market simultaneously later this year. 

Mr Wattana said many farmers in the Central Plains have rushed to plant rice in the past two months since the flooding and their yield will coincide with the second crop in other regions. 

Currently the government has on its hands about 4.5 million tonnes of stockpiled rice under the rice mortgage scheme. The stock is slow to clear as other countries offer much lower prices. 

"The rice will flood the market. The government had better think now how to handle it. We see falling prices even though our stocks are low," he said.

Mr Wattana said exports of Thai rice have been badly hit due to the high prices set by the government's rice mortgage scheme.

The current prices of Thai rice per tonne, based on their moisture content, are about 4,000-5,000 baht higher than global prices. He urged the government to examine the situation and revise the rice mortgage prices.

Under the rice mortgage scheme, farmers get 15,000 baht for pledging a tonne of 15% white rice paddy and 20,000 baht for pledging a tonne of Hom Mali paddy.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Democrats brand rice scheme a failure, 22/01/2012, King-Oua Laohong & Sonthanaporn Inchan, link) 

Rice Policy Vocabulary

brand - 1. say that one thing is same as another bad thing (example: his was branded a thief by his friends when they found he had stolen the membership dues of the club); 2. a mark burned into the body of cattle with a hot iron "brand"

brand - to describe something as being bad or unpleasant
brand a failure - say that something is a failure

Democrats brand rice scheme a failure

scheme - a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people แผนการ โครงการ
government's rice mortgage scheme - the government programme for making sure that farmers get good price for their rice
rice mortgage scheme - shorter way of saying same thing
rice scheme - another even shorter way of saying same thing
mortgage - a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank การจำนอง

the scheme is a failure. The money doesn't get to the farmers
there are about six weeks to go before the scheme ends

keep a close eye on it - watch closely (looking for problems  and corruption)
called it a flop - call it a failure (project was not successful, did not achieve goals)
emerge - appear, come into existence, begin, start

irregularities - things that are not normal and therefore suspicious (might indicate problem or wrong-doing); a situation in which the rules, laws or usual ways of doing something have not been followed ความไม่สงบ

signs - things that you can see that show you that some situation exists (some fact is true)
signs of irregularities - things that you can see that show you that the situation is not normal
signs of irregularities begin to emerge

keep a close eye on it as signs of irregularities begin to emerge

urged - requested them to do, encouraged people to do, tried to get them to do; advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน

the Democrat Party yesterday called the government's rice mortgage scheme a flop and urged the public to keep a close eye on it as signs of irregularities begin to emerge.

guarantee - a promise that something will be done or will happen คำรับรอง, การประกัน (See glossary)
price guarantee - a promise to get a certain price (for the goods you sell)
price guarantee programme  
the scheme has replaced his party's price guarantee programme, has failed to help farmers.
the scheme has failed to help farmers

cited - mentioned as an example, explanation or proof of something else, mentioned to support a point you are making or arguing กล่าวถึง
paddy - rice after it has been harvested from the field  ข้าวเปลือก
pledged - seriously promised to do something สาบาน
he cited the amount of paddy rice pledged since the start of the scheme on Oct 7 last year. As of Jan 16, only 5.3 million tonnes of paddy, out of an estimated 25 million tonnes, has entered the mortgage scheme

gone missing - disappeared (no one knows where it is)
there is a large amount of rice that has gone missing  

rice mills - factories for preparing rice to be put in bags and sold in stores
rice millers - the people who own and operate rice mills

complaints - when people say there is something wrong and they want it changed
numerous - many มากมาย
numerous complaints

exploited - used for personal gain; use someone for your own gain and possibly harm them
farmers being exploited by rice millers.

he has received numerous complaints about farmers being exploited by rice millers

do not have much of a choice - must do, one or few choices
he said with only 820 rice mills taking part in the scheme, farmers do not have much of a choice when it is time to sell 

show up - appear at a place
show up at their farms
show up at their farms so that they do not have to pay transportation costs
some have agreed to sell below the set price to buyers who show up at their farms so that they do not have to pay transportation costs

abuse - cruel, violent or unfair treatment โหดเหี้ยม ทารุณ to use or treat someone or something wrongly or badly, especially in a way that is to your own advantage ใช้ในทางที่ผิด
open to abuse - people can easily use unfairly
the rice mortgage scheme is also open to abuse

hoard
hoarded large amounts of rice
Some millers have hoarded large amounts of rice they bought at low prices and exploited the scheme. 

brace - 1. to get ready for something unpleasant เตรียม 2. to make your body, or a part of it, stiff and stronger in order to support yourself or to do something that needs a lot of physical effort ยึดให้แน่น

rice millers are urging the government to brace for a possible drop in rice prices in the next three to five months. 

plunge - to fall quickly from a high position ดิ่งลงมาจากท้องฟ้า ลดลงอย่างเร็ว (เช่น ราคา, อุณหภูมิ)
simultaneously - happening at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน,ที่พร้อมกัน
rice prices are likely to plunge when the second and the main crop hit the market simultaneously later this year

rushed - made to do something very fast or taken somewhere very quickly ด้วยความเร่งรีบ
yield - an amount of something produced ผลผลิต the amount produced per rai used in farming ให้ผลผลิตต่อไร่
coincide with - happen at the same time as
 
many farmers in the Central Plains have rushed to plant rice in the past two months since the flooding and their yield will coincide with the second crop in other regions. 

stocks - large amounts stored for future use ที่เก็บไว้ในสต๊อก
we see falling prices even though our stocks are low

has on its hands - a lot of something that it has to deal with (store, sell, etc)
stockpiled rice - rice stored for future use or sale
stock is slow to clear - can only sell the stored and warehoused rice very slowly

currently the government has on its hands about 4.5 million tonnes of stockpiled rice under the rice mortgage scheme. The stock is slow to clear as other countries offer much lower prices. 

flood - a large amount or number of something จำนวนม
The rice will flood the market.

how to handle it - how to solve the problem, how to deal with the problem
the government had better think now how to handle it.

current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
current prices - the prices now

content - what something has inside of it
moisture content - the amount of moisture inside (of rice)

global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
global prices

X based on Y - X is calculated or determined using Y
prices based on moisture content  
the current prices of Thai rice per tonne, based on their moisture content, are about 4,000-5,000 baht higher than global prices.

revise - improve, create again or recreate with improvements
revise prices - change the prices
revise the rice mortgage prices - change the prices (used in the rice mortgage programme)

He urged the government to examine the situation and revise the rice mortgage prices.