Police night patrols ordered to foil rice thieves

Police night patrols ordered to foil rice thieves

Farmers spread their harvested rice out for drying in the sun on a roadside in Si Sa Ket. (Photo by Sanoh Worarak)
Farmers spread their harvested rice out for drying in the sun on a roadside in Si Sa Ket. (Photo by Sanoh Worarak)

With the main rice harvest now well underway, rural police are being ordered to step up night patrols to prevent thieves making off with farmers' paddy laid out to dry along roads and in other open areas.

In Surin, a farmer has announce he will donate his entire crop to feed people gathering in Bangkok to mourn the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Acting Khon Kaen police chief Pol Col Promnatthakhet Hamkhampai said on Wednesday he had ordered police in all 26 districts of the province to make frequent patrols around farmland in their areas.

They were instructed to prevent theft of farm tools and harvested rice laid out to dry along roads and in the grounds of schools and temples.

While many farmers sleep out alongside their harvested grain, many others leave it unguarded at night. Every year there are complains of theft.

In Si Sa Ket, farmers have been asked to delay selling their paddy as rice prices remain low.

Si Sa Ket governor Thawat Suraban said on Wednesday a provincial sub-panel on rice management would meet farmers to explain the sales strategy to them.

They would be asked to delay selling their paddy to the mill, because market prices were already very low and oversupply would keep the price down.

There was about 1.4 million rai of rice in the province to be harvested this year. Of this, a total of 521,224 rai would be harvested this month, Mr Thawat said.

In Surin, Sarawut Inpaeng, 38, announced on Wednesday he would donate his harvest of Hom Mali fragrant rice this year to charity groups working at Sanam Luang in Bangkok,  in a tribute to the late King Bhumibol. 

He said his 16 rai of fields in tambon Ta Ong of Muang district would yield 8-10 tonnes of paddy. 

Sarawut said he would not sell the crop  at any price. He was determined to donate the grain from his fields to charity booths at Sanam Luang providing free meals for people gathering to pay respect to the beloved late monarch.

He planned to begin harvesting on Nov 6, and was arranging for people to help reap it, thresh and dry the grain, and transport the rice to Sanam Luang.

In Phitsanulok, a temporary rice market will be  set up in front of the provincial hall where farmers can sell their grain directly to consumers.

Phitsanulok governor Supachai Iemsuwan said  growers could sell both milled and unmilled paddy, and other rice products, at the market without paying any fees for one month, starting on Nov 6.

In Kanchanaburi, rice vending areas are also being set aside for farmers.

Governor Sak Somboonto said the yard in front of the provincial hall would open every Wednesday as a  market where farmers can sell rice and other  agricultural products. Farmers could also sell their produce at a farm outlet in front of Muang police station every Saturday.

The cabinet decided on Tuesday to increase its rice price guarantee to 13,000 baht per tonne for Hom Mali paddy, subsidising the difference between the actual market price,  to stem protests by rice farmers who were dissatisfied with a proposed price of 11,525 baht.

Ripe, yellow Hom Mali grain ready for harvest in Surin. Farmer Sarawut Inpaeng says he will begin reaping it on it on Nov 6. (Photo by Nopparat Kingkaew)

Surin farmer Sarawut Inpaeng, 38, said he would donate all rice harvested from his 16 rai Hom Mali crop to charity groups that have set up booths at Sanam Luang to cater for mourners gathering to pay tribute to the late King. (Photo by Nopparat Kingkaew)

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