Commerce Minister Krirk-krai Jirapaet said the strategies focused not only on growing standards, but would also increase export competitiveness.

The strategies as initially drafted are:

lThe production strategy will find ways to help farmers reduce costs, which will both increase and maintain quality and help them compete with rivals from other exporting countries.

lMarketing and export plans will focus on increasing the country's export volume and value.

lEfforts will be made for internal management development by systemising rice trading of farmers and millers through exporters.

lTrade facilitation and logistics development plans aim to lower logistics costs and increase distribution efficiency in both the domestic and international markets.

lThe government will impart better farming knowledge to develop the rice-growing system. To support the plan, the government and farmers will work together on research and development. The plan aims to provide farmers with higher income by raising the quality of their output, and also help protect the environment.

lThe ministry will devise a pricing strategy by stabilising rice prices, which will also reduce the government's crop intervention burden.

The ministry will next month hold a national seminar on the strategies with the participation of the private sector and concerned agencies. The seminar will allow an exchange of ideas and help the ministry in mapping out a concrete plan.

After that, the government will propose the results of the meeting to the Cabinet and the Rice Policy Committee for approval of the action plan.

Krirk-krai said the six strategies should be fair to all involved, particularly farmers.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the

Thai Rice-Growing Association, the Thai Rice Mills Association and the Rice Packers Association all wanted the government to establish the strategies as a national agenda. They will benefit Thailand in the long run as the previous government was more concerned about high prices than price stability.

The associations said the strategies would stabilise both local and export prices and the government would no longer be burdened under rice intervention programmes.

In addition, it will help increase the yield per rai. Thai yields have been 439 kilograms per rai compared to the global average of 650kg.

 "We are worried about consistency in strategies because the policy for farm goods, particularly rice, always changes with every new government," Chookiat said.

He added that the strategies would be implemented over the next few years.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

 The Nation