Three-point plan to help farmers

Three-point plan to help farmers

The Ministry of Commerce has proposed three measures to help rice growers suffering as a result of overdue rice payments, caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Puangraj said on Wednesday.

Mr Yanyong made the announcement after a meeting of his ministry, rice millers and representatives of rice farmers.

The meeting was intended to explore ways to help ease financial hardship for farmers who are yet to be paid for rice pledged several months ago under the government’s rice subsidy scheme.

Under the first measure, he said the government would encourage people who want to help farmers to deposit money in the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), to increase the liquidity of the state-owned institution.

As part of the second, ministers will set up a fund for receiving donations from people willing to help farmers. Some tax revenue from rice traders will also be used start the fund, he added.

The third measure will be a new farmers’ bank, to be set up as a special financial institution responsible for providing financial assistance to farmers in the long-term, Mr Yanyong said.

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