Thai parliament addresses low prices for farm produce

PHOTO: Low prices for produce, from coconuts to rice, roller to oil palm

The new parliament has considered urgent motions on the low prices of farm goods and resolved to set up a 39 member extraordinary House committee to look into the the matter. The new Thai House of Representatives has deliberated 11 urgent motions lodged on the issue of low prices of farm goods.

Government and opposition MPs debated the low prices of rice, rubber, oil palm, longan, maize, coconut, sugarcane, onion and garlic as well as marine products.

The MPs pointed out various factors that reduce prices, including inadequate water, the high costs of production, the lowering of the prices by Chinese traders who have bought up large volumes of farm products and reducing the bargaining power of farmers and imports of unlimited volumes of farm goods.

The House of Representatives resolved to set up the extraordinary House committee to look into the problems and propose concrete solutions. The MPs called on the government to bring the Chinese traders under control.

The extraordinary House committee has 39 members, consisting of 20 government MPs and 19 opposition MPs and has been given a 60-days timeframe to work on the issue.

SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand