About agriculture

Farmers choose to sell to millers rather than govt, complicated govt document requirements & transport difficulties.

Click button to listen to Rice Sales to Millers to download

FLOODING: Direct rice dealing possible, Farmers seek to avoid red tape by Phusadee Arunmas

Farmers and millers will likely deal directly in paddy purchases to avoid the complicated document requirements of the government's rice pledging scheme, says the Thai Rice Mills Association.

President Chanchai Rakthananon predicts 10 million tonnes of paddy will be in the market by mid-November, but farmers will opt to sell their yields to millers due partly to inconvenient transport in some areas. 

"Both farmers and millers view the mortgage scheme as complicated, so they'll tend to conduct transactions directly. Even though farmers will get a lower price, they'll get the money in their hands more quickly," Mr Chanchai said.

The government pays 15,000 baht a tonne for unmilled white rice and 20,000 baht for Hom Mali, but farmers receive less than that when selling directly to millers.

Mr Chanchai also expressed concern there may not be enough millers participating in the government's scheme due to what is seen as the complicated nature of the process.

Some have also been affected by the floods, while others do not want to open themselves to possible accusations of corruption.

About 400 millers have signed on with the project, which will run until the end of next February.

Mr Chanchai urged the government to relax paddy pledging regulations in light of flooding, although the government has already appointed a working group to consider allowing paddy to be pledged with millers in different provinces.

The association wants the government to accept rice kept in farmers' barns instead of allowing only newly harvested paddy to be pledged.

The requirement to mortgage only newly harvested paddy will see farmers rush to harvest their crop, lured by the attractive price, said Mr Chanchai. Finally, the farmers will end up having no rice of their own to eat due to high prices.

He said the floods are affecting some rice exports, as the main transport route of the Chao Phraya River cannot be used now. 

There are also many rice warehouses in provinces in the central region that also depend on the river for delivery, he added. 

Mr Chanchai anticipates that the problems will be exacerbated if the water does not recede in the next two months. 

Five rice warehouses, one with a 4,000-tonne capacity, remain inundated.

One positive factor is that the new crop of rice entering the market in another four or five months will compensate for present damage, said Mr Chanchai. 

However, he urged the government to manage its stockpile efficiently by selling it at the appropriate time instead of rushing to release it when prices are not right. 

(Source: Bangkok Post, FLOODING, Direct rice dealing possible, Farmers seek to avoid red tape, 8/11/2011, Phusadee Arunmas, link) 

Rice Business Vocabulary

scheme - a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people แผนการ โครงการ
government's rice pledging scheme - one name for the the government program to help rice farmers (by buying their rice at a reasonable price) 
mortgage scheme - another name for the the government program to help rice farmers

red tape - government red tape, all the rules, regulations, paperwork and waiting when dealing with the government
avoid red tape

paddy - rice after it has been harvested from the field ข้าวเปลือก

complicated - has so many parts connected in different ways that it is difficult to understand (for example, a complicated machine or a city with a complicated system of streets) ที่ซับซ้อน
document - a piece of paper or a set of papers containing official information เอกสาร
requirement - things you must do (following the rules or procedures) สิ่งจำเป็น, สิ่งที่ต้องการ

complicated document requirements

farmers deals directly with millers - meaning: farmers sell to millers who then sell to government as well as others (farmers in the pledging programme usually sell to the government and then the government is the one that deals with millers) 

Farmers and millers will likely deal directly in paddy purchases to avoid the complicated document requirements of the government's rice pledging scheme

opt - to make a choice or a decision from a range of possibilities เลือก
yields - how much crop a farmer gets from farming one hectare of land ผลผลิต
opt to sell their yields to millers

transport - to move people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง
inconvenient transport
farmers will opt to sell their yields to millers due partly to inconvenient transport in some areas. 

view the mortgage scheme as complicated

tend - to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic มักจะ
conduct - to do something in an organised way; to carry out
transaction - buying and selling something
tend to conduct transactions directly

both farmers and millers view the mortgage scheme as complicated, so they'll tend to conduct transactions directly

concern - a worry ความกังวล
expressed concern - said that they are worried about something

millers participating in the government's scheme

nature - the basic quality of feature of something ลักษณะที่แท้จริงของสิ่งต่างๆ, ธรรมชาติ
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
the complicated nature of the process -

expressed concern there may not be enough millers participating in the government's scheme due to what is seen as the complicated nature of the process

accusations - bad things that others say that you have done (but not yet proven)
corruption - (See Wikipedia on bribery, corporate corruption, and political corruption)

accusations of corruption - when one person says the other person is "corrupt" (likely to start an argument)

sign on - join
signed on with the project - join the project

run until - the activity will continue until (and then will end)
will run until the end of next February

regulations - rules made by the government to control how some activity is done กฎระเบียบ ระเบียบปฏิบัติ ข้อบังคับ
relax regulations - make the regulations and rules less strict (lower penalties, easier enforcement, etc)

urged - advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน
urged the government to relax paddy pledging regulations in light of flooding

appoint - select a person or group of people for a position or to do some task แต่งตั้ง
appointed a working group - selected a group of people to meet together and solve the problem

pledged - seriously promised to do something สาบาน
allowing paddy to be pledged with millers in different provinces - there is a regulation prohibiting rice farmers from selling their grain outside of their own zone (Read previous article)

barn - a farm building with different uses including storing crops 
wants the government to accept rice kept in farmers' barns  

rush - to move or do something very quickly รีบเร่ง, วิ่ง
harvest - gathering fully grown crops from the field เก็บเกี่ยว การเก็บเกี่ยวผลผลิต
farmers rush to harvest their crop

attractive - worth having or doing
attractive price - a good price for a product (that makes you want to buy the product

the requirement to mortgage only newly harvested paddy will see farmers rush to harvest their crop, lured by the attractive price

route - the way that planes, buses, trains, or ships travel regularly เส้นทางของรถ เรือ เครื่องบิน,etc.
the main transport route of the Chao Phraya River cannot be used now

rice warehouses in provinces in the central region that also depend on the river for delivery

recede - to move back; to move further away into the distance ถอยหลัง
problems will be exacerbated if the water does not recede in the next two months

capacity - the total amount that can be contained ปริมาณสูงสุดที่จะรับได้
inundated - flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
five rice warehouses, one with a 4,000-tonne capacity, remain inundated

factor - a fact or situation which influences the result of something ปัจจัย
positive - 1. good ที่ดี; 2. hopeful and confident, or giving cause for hope and confidence ซึ่งมองในแง่ดี
positive factor - something that could lead to good results in a situation

present damage - damage now
compensate for present damage - offset or make up for present damage (gain some money to offset lost money)

stockpile - store large amounts of something for future use คลังสินค้า จำนวนสินค้าที่เก็บตุนไว้เป็นจำนวนมาก
efficiently - done in an effective, organised way อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ doing tasks successfully without wasting time, energy or resources

appropriate time - the right time or most suitable time to take some action
release - to allow to go free, go out or flow out from a place ปล่อย

urged the government to manage its stockpile efficiently by selling it at the appropriate time instead of rushing to release it when prices are not right