Villagers blast TAO over sub-standard buffaloes
Upset with the poor condition of buffaloes given to them under a cattle-loan project, residents of Tambon Nong Phra yesterday returned 11 of the beasts to their local tambon administrative organisation (TAO).
"We have raised these buffaloes for two years already and we believe this is not going to work," said Chaiwat Chao-obtom, 36, one of the locals who rallied outside the TAO office yesterday until officials agreed to take the buffaloes back. Chaiwat said the Tambon Nong Phra Administrative Organisation launched the cattle-loan project in 2005. The project allocated Bt250,000 to each village in the tambon to buy pregnant buffaloes that would be loaned to residents to raise. The residents were to get the first calf "free" from the buffaloes. "Things were suspicious from the start because the buffaloes we received were far from what they showed us when we joined the project," Chaiwat said. Instead of fat and healthy buffaloes, Chaiwat said participants in the project were given small, ailing animals. "If we had bought such buffaloes from the market, they would have cost us no more than Bt20,000 each," he said. Some of the buffaloes gave birth to calves in the past two years, after which the participants felt it was time to call it quits. "Two of the loaned buffaloes died. The local people had to buy replacements," Chaiwat said. Muang Donpai, another participant in the project, said he wanted to return the buffaloes because he was afraid they would die. "And if they die, I will have to pay for the replacements," he said. Chaiwat said the TAO had previously demanded that the project's participants return the loaned buffaloes along with their first calf. "If that's the condition, it means we have raised the buffaloes for free. We can't accept that," Chaiwat said. Another participant, Thongkham Phothong, said he was hurt to overhear some of the tambon officials saying, "We have bought buffaloes for buffaloes to raise". In Thai, "buffalo" is an insulting term used to describe someone as stupid. Following the rally yesterday, the TAO officials agreed to take back the buffaloes without asking for their calves as well. "We will convene a meeting to decide what to do with these buffaloes. If no one wants to borrow them, we may auction them off," said TAO executive Dejpoom Iadwoon.
The Nation Phitsanulok
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