Rice and shine: Thai government dishes out financial aid to farmers through BAAC
The Thai government initiated a financial aid programme for rice farmers, channelling through the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC).
Rice farmers will receive 1,000 baht per rai, capped at 20 rai (32,000 squared metres) per household, or a maximum of 20,000 baht per household. This scheme, part of the Rice Farmer Management and Quality Improvement project for the 2023/2024 production year, is aimed at benefiting 4.68 million households.
The first payout began today, with an initial fund of 9 billion baht. The bank will continue to disburse approximately 10 billion baht per day for the next five days, concluding the transfer on December 2. Farmers can monitor their transfer status via the BAAC Mobile application available 24/7, and will also receive alerts through the BAAC Connect service on Line: BAAC Family. Eligible farmers can check their status at the Department of Agricultural Extension’s registration site for this year.
To verify the aid of 1,000 baht per rai, farmers can visit the website https://chongkho.inbaac.com/ and enter their 13-digit national identification number. They will then find details about their account balance and the aid they have received, reported KhaoSod.
As of today (November 28), BAAC has transferred funds to 40 provinces through 44 branches, aiding 660,000 rice farmers with a total of 8.49 billion baht.
Tomorrow, November 29, 17 more provinces will receive funds, helping an additional 730,000 farmers with a total of 8.298 billion baht. The day after, 10 provinces will receive funds, benefiting 850,000 farmers with a total of 9.242 billion baht.
On December 1, five provinces will receive funds, assisting 770,000 farmers with a total of 9.277 billion baht. Lastly, on December 2, five provinces will receive funds, aiding 800,000 farmers with a total of 9.13 billion baht.
In related news, Chatchai Sirilai, the president of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), stated that the bank will augment its role as a facilitator for the export of high-value agricultural goods. This move is aimed at increasing income for farmers. Read more about this story HERE.
