ECONOMY
PHUSADEE ARUNMAS
KAMPHAENG PHET : Dhanin Chearavanont is calling on the new government to accelerate domestic spending and work on rehabilitating tourism as soon as possible to bring the country's battered economy back on track.
"As the world's global economic crisis worsens, a top priority of the new government should be to shore up prices of agricultural products to raise farmers' incomes," said the chairman of the agribusiness conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP), who presided over the 30th anniversary celebration yesterday of the Kamphaeng Phet Agricultural Village, a prototype integrated farming system.
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| Mr Dhanin shows off some of the company's hybrid rice at the Kamphaeng Phet Agricultural Village. |
"Once farmers have greater income, they will spend and keep the economy humming."
He also urged the government to promote co-operation with other major agricultural producers, such as the effort by Thailand recently to team up with its rubber-producing neighbours to work out measures to shore up rubber prices.
Mr Dhanin, however, was critical of government-initiated low-cost product projects under the Blue Flag programme, saying it aimed to help low-income earners in big cities at the expense of poor farmers in rural areas and also ended up depressing farm product prices.
"This initiative makes the country poorer and is an exploitation of national assets," he said.
Mr Dhanin also urged the new government to speed up rehabilitating the battered tourism sector and provide liquidity to local businesses, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
There are still plenty of high-potential SMEs, but they are threatened by a lack of working capital and new loans to perpetuate their businesses, he said.
"The biggest concern is deflationary not inflationary pressure," he said. "The government may need to print more banknotes to help boost the prices of agricultural products and encourage more employment. This will eventually make more money revolve in the system."
Mr Dhanin noted the prices of other products are subject to drop if the government lets agricultural commodities fall without appropriate intervention.
He sees Thailand's export prospects as still promising, as Thailand could expand into new markets such as China, India, Russia, and the Middle East.
"Farm product exports are expected to manage further growth in a difficult time next year, as demand still exists," he said.
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