Households sitting on a 'time-bomb'

Members of the group suggest the government urgently review its policies with regard to sustainability of rice production and food security, instead of focusing only on exports and prices.

"The past policies were a mistake. They put farmers in a serious debt cycle as they were encouraged to change production technology, use more chemicals, new seeds and depend more on machines. This meant seeking higher loans from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives [BAAC]," rice expert Wiwatchai Atthakorn explained.

Farmer Kim-ang Phornnarai from Chai Nat agreed. "Yes, we do earn more, but are still swimming weakly in the crazy ocean of debt.

"The more you farm, the more you owe. In two decades, my debt has grown from Bt3,000 to Bt70,000 this year," she said.

The situation now is critical, Kim-ang said. Despite the debt moratorium policy, the BAAC is practically forcing farmers to sell their land to pay off their accumulated debt.

Apart from the decades-old problem of debt, farmers are increasingly losing control over production factors: land ownership, technology, grain and water resources, Wiwatchai said.

"All this derives from the monopoly by state authorities," said Witoon Lianchamroon of the BIOThai activist group. "The Department of Agricultural Extension (DOE), Department of Agriculture (DOA) and BAAC are three major agencies that played key roles in the monopoly structure in the past to put farmers in a debt cycle. Now the land and water authorities are joining in," he said.

The current policy of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government is even worse, said Wilit Techapaiboon, a farmer and activist from Phetchaburi.

"They support foreigners to invest in rice farming, forcing Thai farmers to be only farm workers. They allow private companies to promote hybrid rice seeds through government agencies while doing very little about the debt issue," he said.

"Instead of focusing on exports, it is about time Thailand set a real strategy for our rice production that yields not only foreign currency but also a better quality of life for farmers and consumers," the group stated.