Sticky-rice farmers demand payment

"We want the government's assistance in negotiating with this miller, because the government allowed the miller to participate in the pledging programme in the first place," Somsa-ard Karuna, a sticky rice farmer from Chiang Rai, said yesterday.

The farmers say they have not yet received Bt322.85 million from Siripinyo Rice Miller in Chachoengsao province, the largest miller participating in the government's sticky-rice mortgage scheme.

The company purchased 40,360 tonnes of glutinous paddy rice from them while asking the farmers for 15 days of credit from May 29. However, it has put off clearing its debt to the farmers even after almost a month has passed. Farmers are suffering badly from the delay and need capital to prepare for the next crop.

"After several attempts to protest at the Commerce Ministry and Government House, we've not received any assurance that the miller will pay all remaining credit to us," Somsa-ard said.

Meanwhile, despite the government's guaranteeing between Bt8,000 and Bt9,000 per tonne, the price for sticky paddy rice has gradually dropped to Bt6,200 a tonne.

"The lower rice price has created difficulties for us, because the cost of production runs around Bt7,000 or Bt8,000 a tonne," he said.