Rice scheme reality dawns

EDITORIAL

Published: 17 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The rice-pledging scheme is entering its second year and the government is reportedly seeking a staggering 150 billion baht loan for the cash-strapped Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) so it will be able to carry on wooing farmers' support for another year.

There is no question that farmers who have registered to take part in the scheme have benefited from it.

They could sell their crops to the millers at prices higher than the actual market prices, even though the prices they received, in most cases, were lower than the 15,000 baht/tonne for white rice and 20,000 baht/tonne for Hom Mali grains pledged by the government.

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

Forum

Your comments

uberbraun
Post : 246
Send message

Discussion 17 : 17 Jan 2013 at 22.2517
Post this to my Facebook
D16 'so how can it be working other than as a vote buying scam for Thaksin/PTP ?'

I think you just answered your own question.
Like dislike 5 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment
howell
Post : 1,680
Send message

Discussion 16 : 17 Jan 2013 at 21.3916
Post this to my Facebook
'In other words, corruption is acceptable so long as the scheme works'.

Works ? Exports are already down by nearly 50 % so how can it be working other than as a vote buying scam for Thaksin/PTP ?
Like dislike 12 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment
bobble
Post : 34
Send message

Discussion 15 : 17 Jan 2013 at 20.0115
Post this to my Facebook
perhaps rice can be used instead of sandbags, the next time bangkok floods!.. or perhaps the government should offer some of it to the militants in the south in exchange for them stopping killing innocent civilians - of course the real problem with these situations is that they are a massive loss of face for those in power..
Like dislike 9 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
jacksprat
Post : 2,561
Send message

Discussion 14 : 17 Jan 2013 at 19.4514
Post this to my Facebook
Look on the bright side. When the government is finally broke and the economy collapses, the government will be able to hand out lots of free rice.
Like dislike 11 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
englishbob
Post : 2,395
Send message

Discussion 13 : 17 Jan 2013 at 17.3213
Post this to my Facebook
Disc11 Dougo "If I have to choose between policies which produce an oversupply of food and policies which produce a famine, I'll take the former, thank you."

Why do you limit your choices to those two examples? Why not add a third option of a workable, non-corrupt policy? How about NO policy and letting market forces work? As far as I can see there is no-one suggesting a policy which causes a famine...
Like dislike 19 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
dao
Post : 4,804
Send message

Discussion 12 : 17 Jan 2013 at 10.5212
Post this to my Facebook
Propping up artificial prices for one of our main exports is financially retarded .There is no end in sight to this scheme and long goal to reach except make the farmer feel good for a couple of crops in exchange for his vote .Maybe if farmers had to pay for it they wouldn't be so enthusiastic .
Like dislike 30 people liked / 1 people disliked this comment
dougo
Post : 117
Send message

Discussion 11 : 17 Jan 2013 at 10.0211
Post this to my Facebook
If I have to choose between policies which produce an oversupply of food and policies which produce a famine, I'll take the former, thank you.
Like dislike 2 people liked / 32 people disliked this comment
Ian
Post : 937
Send message

Discussion 10 : 17 Jan 2013 at 09.4610
Post this to my Facebook
Although I have no love for the Democrats I equally have no love for the Rice pledging scheme, it has never made sense to me. However, rather than throwing accusations around, even if true, what is needed is some way out of this mess.
One step could be to release some of this stockpile to Thais for free or a very reduced price, to prevent this rice from entering back into the system it could be coloured with a harmless vegetable dye. Some rice could be converted to fuel or alcohol, some could be given as aid to the 3rd world.
Even selling at a loss is better than not selling at all.
Like dislike 23 people liked / 6 people disliked this comment
boontong
Post : 543
Send message

Discussion 9 : 17 Jan 2013 at 08.369
Post this to my Facebook
Any policy/scheme/project whether big or small has challenges. They will be people who focus on problems and other who face the challenges along the path and never lose sight of the intention or goal. We need both these people. A constructive problem solver is not hard to find - it is in their presentation. A pessimist, loser, mediocre is also not difficult to spot - it is in their presentation too.
Like dislike 5 people liked / 39 people disliked this comment
whatajoke
Post : 1,876
Send message

Discussion 8 : 17 Jan 2013 at 07.598
Post this to my Facebook
These allegations of corruption do need to be more clearly backed up, but knowing this country there can be no doubt that when large amounts of money are rapidly dispersed, corruption in inevitable. PT are more interested in just getting on with it, regardless of corruption potential. To quote the author " In other words, corruption is acceptable so long as the scheme works." (That's how the last election was won!) The best way to criticise the scheme is to spell out to farmers (the voting masses) how little of the money actually ends up in their pockets. But there again, 'little' is better than nothing, besides it aint their tax money wasted
Like dislike 54 people liked / 4 people disliked this comment

1 2 Next Last

Rice scheme reality dawns | Bangkok Post: opinion