Farmers threaten mass Bangkok protest

Farmers are threatening to bring a mass convey of farm vehicles to Bangkok if the Government does not reverse its cuts to the rice-pledging scheme within seven days.

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Farmers are still working the fields and harvesting the second crop, but they say they will protest in Bangkok next week if the government fails to reverse the rice-purchase cuts. (File photo by Sunthorn Pongpao.)

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Farmers vow mass city convoy

Govt handed a week to reverse pledge price cut

POST REPORTERS

The government has seven days to reconsider its decision to slash the paddy pledging ceiling price to 12,000 baht a tonne, Thai Farmers Association president Wichian Phuanglamchiak has warned.

He said representatives of the association and farmers from 22 provinces in the Central region will submit a letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday at Government House to ask her to reconsider the price cut.

Mr Wichian said if the government ignores their demand after seven days, rice farmers from across the country will travel on farm trucks to Bangkok to pressure the government.

Farmers nationwide wanted the government to maintain the original ceiling price at 15,000 baht a tonne until the pledging programme for the current crop ends on Sept 15, he said.

A special cabinet meeting on Wednesday agreed to slash the pledging price for the second crop in 2013 from 15,000 to 12,000 baht a tonne, as proposed by the National Rice Policy Committee (NRPC).

The reduction in the pledging price for the current crop will take effect from June 30 while each farming household is eligible to be paid a maximum of 500,000 baht, effective Thursday.

Mr Wichian said the reduction was proposed by the NRPC which has no representatives who are farmers.

Farmers who are the stakeholders should have been given a say in the decision-making, he said.

He said farmers will still not receive the full 12,000-baht pledging price because deductions can be made from the price to account for excessive moisture content.

But the 12,000-baht price would be acceptable if the full price has no moisture content deductions, Mr Wichian said.

Prime Minister Yingluck said Thursday the government will go ahead with the rice-pledging scheme.

She said she had assigned ministers, the NRPC and provincial governors nationwide to explain the reasoning behind the price cut to farmers.

The decision was based on the changing prices of rice on the world market.

The price reduction was also intended to maintain a balanced budget and fiscal discipline.

She said she will instruct the NRPC to consider a proposal by farmers for the ceiling price to be cut to 13,500 a tonne instead of 12,000 baht.

You can read the full story here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/356162/farmers-vow-mass-city-convoy

harvest – to gather in ripe crops  เก็บเกี่ยว
crop – a plant grown for food, usually on a farm  พืชผล
second rice crop – a crop of rice grown after the main crop has been harvested ข้าวนาปรัง
reverse – (of a decision) to change เปลี่ยนแปลง
protest – to make a strong complaint or disagreement ประท้วง
vow – to make a formal and serious promise to do something สาบาน, ปฏิญาณ
mass – to gather in large numbers รวมกันเป็นกลุ่ม, รวมกันหนาแน่น
convoy – a group of vehicles (or ships) travelling together  ขบวนรถ
pledge – to give something valuable to someone as a way of promising that you will pay them money later จำนำ
pledge rice – to sell rice to the government at a particular price, with the right to reclaim the rice if the market price goes higher จำนำข้าว
pledge price – the price at which the government promises to buy rice from farmers ราคาจำนำข้าว
reconsider – to think again about a decision in order to decide whether you should change it พิจารณาอีกครั้ง
slash – (of a budget, price, etc.) to cut, especially by a large amount ตัด
paddy – rice as it comes from the field after harvest ข้าวเปลือก
ceiling – an upper limit เพดาน ขีดจำกัด
association – an official group of people who have joined together for a particular purpose สมาคม
warn – to make someone aware of a possible problem or danger เตือน
representative – someone who has been chosen or elected by a person or group to vote, give opinions, or make decisions for them ผู้แทน
submit – to formally give something to someone so that can make a decision about it ยื่น (เอกสาร) เพื่อการพิจารณา
ignore – to fail to pay attention to; to pretend that you have not noticed or do not know about something เพิกเฉย
demand – a very firm request for something ข้อเรียกร้อง, การเรียกร้อง
pressure – to try to make someone do something by forcing, threatening, or persuading them in a determined way กดดัน
nationwide – throughout a whole country  ทั่วทั้งประเทศ
maintain – to keep รักษา
original – existing at the beginning of a particular period, process or activity เดิม, ซึ่งเป็นแบบฉบับ
current – of the present time ปัจจุบัน
cabinet – the group of government ministers who make and approve government policy คณะรัฐมนตรี
propose – to suggest an idea for a group to consider เสนอ
policy – a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย
take effect – to begin to be used or required ส่งผล
household – a group of people, often a family, who live together  ครัวเรือน
eligible – allowed by rules or laws to do something or to receive something มีสิทธิ
maximum – the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
effective – officially begun to be used ; to take effect มีผล
stakeholder – someone who has an interest in the success of a plan, system, or organization, for example a worker in a company or the parent of a child at a school ผู้ถือผลประโยชน์ร่วม
deduction – the process of taking an amount of something, especially money, away from a total; the amount that is taken away การหักลบ
excessive – much greater than is usual; too much of something   มากเกินปริมาณที่พอดี
moisture – a small amount of water or another liquid in the air, on the surface of something, or in a substance ความชื้น
scheme – a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people  แผนการ โครงการ
rice pledging scheme – a government programme in which a fixed price, in this case well above the market price,  is offered to rice farmers for their harvested rice การจำนำข้าว
assign – to give someone a job to do มอบหมาย, สั่งงาน
reasoning – the process of thinking about things in a logical way; opinions and ideas that are based on logical thinking เหตุผล,  การใช้เหตุผล, การอ้างเหตุผล
budget – an amount of money able to be spent on something งบประมาณ
balanced budget –  a budget in which spending is not more than money received งบประมาณสมดุล
fiscal – connected with the government budget, i.e., public money เกี่ยวกับงบประมาณ
discipline – the ability to control your actions  วินัย