Cabinet agrees to bail out rubber planters and tappers

The Cabinet has approved in principle to pour 18.6 billion baht in aid packages to help the beleaguered rubber plantation owners and rubber tappers. The rubber industry says they’re being affected by falling rubber prices.

Under the aid package, according to Thai PBS, the government will offer a handout of 1,800 baht for each rai of rubber plantation but not exceeding 15 rai for each plantation owner. The 1,800 baht handout will be split up between plantation owners and rubber tappers.

Only rubber plantation owners and rubber tappers who have registered with the Rubber Authority of Thailand are eligible to receive the handouts.

999,065 plantation owners and 304,266 rubber tappers have registered so far.

The aid package will last for ten months from this December until September next year.

The government spokesman said the government had also agreed to help oil palm farmers by buying oil palm at the rate of 18 baht/kg for up to 160,000 tonnes to be used for electricity generating for the short term.

But in the long run, palm oil will be used as mixture in the production of B20 fuel with an annual target of 500,000 tonnes of oil palm.

ORIGINAL STORY: Thai PBS