Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai, two major partnership events, along with the criticism Democrat party, on Thursday firmly objected to a cabinet-approved 30-billion-baht compost payment program for 4.68 million corn farmers, saying it must be revised.
The issue was raised by Korrawee Prissananantakul, a Bhumjaithai MP for Ang Thong, at Thursday’s House meet.
Mr. Korrawee claimed that the majority of landowners in Ang Thong approve of the scheme’s co-pay requirement despite the fact that the fertiliser rebate program is intended to help lower producers ‘ costs.
There are hidden problems and drawbacks, he added.
He said,” These farmers have asked me to tell the government to have this program revised.” ” And if possible, they may be happy to see the preceding payment programme, which offered them 1, 000 ringgit per ray, brought back”.
Under the planned rebate program, farmers may receive at most 500 ringgit of grants per ray, or up to 10, 000 baht per man, he said.
But, producers would be required to pay half the prices upfront, he said.
” If the government actually means well, it may terminate this co-payment system and continue with the 1, 000 ringgit per-rai scheme”, he said.
Some farmers in his state are concerned about the program because they lack the funds to pay the compost buyers upfront, according to Thinnaphon Sitharet, a Pheu Thai MP for Kalasin.
Kalasin producers are also urging the government to stick to the previous rebate program, in which they were paid 1, 000 ringgit per ray — a total sum — so they could be used to purchase fertilisers, he said.
” Farmers ]in Kalasin ] want me to relay to the agriculture and cooperatives minister their call for the revision of the new fertiliser subsidy programme”, he said.
Sanong Thep-aksonnarong, a Bhumjaithai MP for Buri Ram, however, said this fresh subsidy programme, may prompt some farmers to take out loans and hence incur more debt as they must first find the cash to pay for the fertiliser.
A group of grain farmers in Wang Sai Phun city wrote to Winai Phattharaprasit, a Bhumjaithai MP for Phitchit, to complain about the co-payment system.
The team is also calling for the transfer of the past 1, 000 ringgit per-rai payment programme, he said.
He promised to submit the party’s complaint to the cupboard along with a request to review the new fertilizer subsidy program.
According to Saksit Khaothong, a Democrat MP for Songkhla, the new program is prone to corruption because it will require a middleman who will handle execution, unlike the previous program, which gave money to farmers directly.
The permanent minister for crops and cooperatives has been assigned to the government to speed up conversations with various government executives to determine the destiny of the scheme, according to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Capt Thamanat Prompow.