Unpaid farmers blockade highway

Unpaid farmers blockade highway

Hundreds gather in rice pledge protest

Unpaid farmers from four provinces in the Central Plains region yesterday began blocking the Asian Highway in tambon Ban Mo of Sing Buri's Phrom Buri district to demand overdue payments under the government's rice-pledging scheme.

Rice farmers from four central provinces block the Asian Highway in Ban Mo of Sing Buri’s Phrom Buri district, in a protest aimed at pressuring the government to speed up paying overdue funds for rice pledged under the government’s scheme. PANUMAS SANGUANWONG

"We want to block the road for three days. We've been in trouble for months," said Sing Buri agricultural committee chairman Charin Singdee.

Mr Charin led hundreds of farmers from Sing Buri, Chai Nat, Lop Buri and Saraburi to block the highway in a show of protest against the payment delays.

He said the farmers have been waiting for at least five months since they sold off their paddy to the government.

"These farmers want to get cash to pay off their farming debts as quickly as possible. They want the government to tell them when exactly their payments will be made," he said.

If the government continues to postpone the payments, the farmers will block the road, he warned.

Motorists were stuck in traffic for several hours yesterday along the road. Sing Buri police advised those travelling to the North to use road No.309 Ang Thong-Sing Buri, and those travelling to Bangkok to take road No.311 Sing Buri-Lop Buri instead.

Meanwhile, unpaid farmers from several provinces yesterday joined the People's Democratic Reform Committee's (PDRC) protest at provincial halls and district offices.

In nearby Ang Thong, about 400 unpaid farmers converged on Ang Thong district office to demand the government pay them money under the rice-pledging scheme.

Ang Thong agricultural committee chairman Songpol Poolsawat said the farmers had sold off their paddy in the new crop which runs between Oct 1, 2013 to Feb 28 this year.

They handed a letter to Ang Thong provincial governor Prawin Chamniprasart to pass on to the government, asking for payment by Monday. "If no progress is made, we will stage a mass rally," he said.

In Phichit, about 3,000 farmers gathered in front of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives in Muang district. They set up a stage there and took turns criticising the government's management of the scheme.

The farmers threatened to drive their tractors and trucks to Bangkok in three days' time if the government continues to ignore their plight.

About 300 village chiefs and kamnans also assembled at Phichit Provincial Administration Organisation to demand payment on behalf of farmers.

They said they will join the PDRC's rally to oust the government if no payments are made.

Nakhon Ratchasima agricultural committee chairman Kittisak Boonchuen who led farmers from 32 districts to march to Nakhon Ratchasima provincial hall, said the farmers also want the government to pay interest incurred during the payment delays as they did not have money to pay farming debts.

Suphan Buri agricultural committee chairman Prom Boonmachuay said his farmers will meet on Friday to discuss plans to pressure the government to pay the money owed.

"The government can't dodge responsibility. It has to pay the money to the farmers anyway," Mr Prom said.

However, Prasit Phuhoi, a farmer in Ayutthaya, said he would sell off the paddy in the new crop to the scheme because the pledged rice is is almost 50% higher than the market price.

This is despite the fact that payments have been delayed.

"I'm willing to wait for it," Mr Prasit said.

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