Thai rubber farmers are asking for government subsidies to ensure process will stay at 60 baht per kilogram. Currently, rubber sheet prices in the country are only 40 to 43 baht/kg.
Sunthorn Rakrong leads the farmers associations from 16 southern provinces. He sent a letter to the Minister of Cooperatives, Gen Chatchai Sarikulya to ask for assistance.
The group also wanted the government to approve the rubber farmers’ proposal to let them swap panting rubber with rice grains and to establish a screening committee for the project to reclaim forestland by cutting down rubber trees, in accordance to the National Council for Peace and Order’s order number 66/2557.
Sunthorn said they would be requesting to meet the Prime Minister to discuss their proposals.
Sunthorn said the farmers are not planning a protest rally yet because they had already made symbolic protest signs at city halls in Phatthalung and Surat Thani provinces and it would soon expand to Ranong and Songkhla.