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COMMODITIES
VICHAYA PITSUWAN
Cane and sugar industry executives say they fully support the government's proposal to lift controls on prices, and they hope to see the 1984 Cane and Sugar act amended by next year. The Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB) met yesterday with cane farmers, sugar millers and industry experts to discuss an operational plan to support the cane and sugar master plan.
The plan was approved by the cabinet in April with the aim to improve the industry by reducing production costs, improving yields and allowing market mechanisms to drive prices.
The participants at yesterday's meeting all agreed the Cane and Sugar Act needed to be amended.
The planned amendments would give the Industry Minister sole authority over policy in order to speed up decision-making. The existing law allows for input from the industry, agriculture and commerce ministers.
According to Suttinee Poopaka, the OCSB deputy secretary-general, the amendments would also give the OCSB the sole right to manage sugarcane prices, ex-factory sugar prices and retail prices. The Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department would lose its authority over sugar.
''This right is an attempt to introduce a mechanism into determining cane and sugar prices in a way that is closest to what it should be through the free market mechanism,'' Ms Suttinee said.
It also means that any change in sugar prices would not need cabinet approval.
Existing cane and sugar committees would be eliminated, leaving the OCSB, an industry administrative committee and the Cane and Sugar Fund to look after industry matters.
Ms Suttinee said the draft would also allow cane juice to be used as a raw material for ethanol. ''This is not included in current Act,'' she said.
She said the draft would be prepared by the OCSB legal unit before going to the cabinet for approval and then to the House of Representatives
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