Rice Committee endorses rice price guarantee scheme

21 Sept 02:37 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Rice Policy and Management Committee approved a rice price guarantee scheme for five types of rice, alongside a measure to help farmers cover harvesting or production costs.
The scheme sets specific guarantee prices for varieties like Hom Mali (15,000 baht/tonne) and offers a 500 baht per 0.06 hectares subsidy for production costs, with an estimated budget of 21 billion baht.
Farmers must register with the Department of Agricultural Extension to be eligible, with project details to be jointly worked out by the Commerce Ministry and the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association views the guarantee as a short-term measure, advocating for long-term solutions like developing market-demanded rice seeds and cost reductions to enhance global competitiveness, citing a loss of market share to Vietnam.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Yesterday 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.