AGRICULTURE
THEERAWAT KHAMTHITA
About 300 rice farmers blocked the Chiang Mai-Phrao road in Chiang Mai's San Sai district yesterday to demand overdue payments worth 16 million baht from millers who bought their rice last month. The farmers from San Sai, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Phrao districts set up tents occupying one lane of the road.
They demanded millers and state agencies pay the outstanding amount.
The farmers sold their unhusked rice to the millers at a government-guaranteed price. The rice stock is kept at mills selected by the government.
Some millers, however, were late making their payment, claiming they had difficulty securing loans from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) to pay the farmers.
This is their second time out on the roads. Earlier protests by the farmers in Chiang Mai were called off after they were promised prompt payments.
But the millers fell behind on payments again this week, so the farmers renewed their protest.
They say they will stay put until they get paid. They also plan to file complaints with police.
Another group of rice farmers rallied in front of the BAAC's Chiang Mai branch, urging the bank to grant them loans.
The farmers said their rally would grow if the bank ignored their request. They did not benefit from the recent surge in rice prices, they said.
In neighbouring Chiang Rai, about 10 rice farmers have filed a complaint with Crime Suppression Division police in Bangkok, about overdue payments worth 35 million baht, allegedly owed to farmers by Pichet Tonitiwong, owner of the Siripinyo rice mill.
The Chachoengsao-based mill set up points to buy rice from the Chiang Rai farmers.
Farmer Weerapol Somsripaeng said the miller had bought rice worth about 40 million baht from over 4,000 farmers in Chiang Rai but had paid only five million baht to them.
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