Rice farmers to get coupons for seed, fertiliser

Rice farmers to get coupons for seed, fertiliser

Rice growers are about to get discount coupons from the government to cut their costs. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Rice growers are about to get discount coupons from the government to cut their costs. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

The government plans to distribute discount coupons to rice farmers to help them cut cultivation costs in the coming season.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp said economic ministers agreed on Wednesday that rice growers should have get coupons or cards to claim discounts on the purchase of cultivation materials, including seed and fertiliser. The discounts will be more effective than handing out cash subsidies to the farmers, he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired the economic ministers' meeting and ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to implement the assistance programme.

For the upcoming crop season, the government also hopes to convince some rice farmers to switch to sugarcane in order to ensure good prices for rice, the spokesman said.

Sugar futures, meanwhile, plunged to their lowest prices since 2009 in New York last month as rising output from Thailand to India exacerbated a global glut.

Finally, the government is offering 1 million baht in aid to each of about 3,000 sub-districts where rice growers have always suffered from water shortages. The money will be spent to reduce cultivation costs, Dr Yongyuth said.

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