Phatthalung: A network of rubber farmers is calling on the government to remove the board chairman and the governor of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAT) for repeatedly failing to address falling prices.
Siwa Srichai, leader of a farmers' group in this southern province, said the network will lodge a petition this week with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach calling for board chairman Gen Chatchalerm Chalermsukh and RAT governor Titus Suksaard to be sacked.
He said the rubber farmers have endured falling prices for years and despite the establishment of the RAT there have been no improvements.
"The rubber farmers have put up with these problems for several years and the new agency is even making the matter worse. We can't take it anymore and want change," he said.
He said Mr Grisada should find new candidates for the governor and the board chairman roles and submit the nominations to the cabinet for consideration. He said the rubber farmers expect to see the appointments of individuals who have solid knowledge of the industry.
"If this is allowed to continue, the farmers will be in deep trouble. While the prices of other commodities are going up, rubber prices are going down. We will escalate our campaign this week," he said.
Uthai Sonlaksap, chairman of the Rubber Network Council and Rubber Farmers Institute of Thailand, said the group is waiting for a police investigation into alleged irregularities involving the RAT's fertiliser procurement.
The group lodged a petition last year with the police Counter-Corruption Division (CCD) asking it to look into the bidding for 60,000 tonnes of fertiliser.
Mr Uthai said the RAT is operating at an annual loss of 800 million baht, which suggests possible flawed management.