BANGKOK, Nov 20 (TNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives has issued urgent measures to tackle falling
rubber prices amid growing demands for government’s actions by rubber growers
and tappers.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach said the
ministry had proposed ways to increase demand and help farmers facing the
effects of dropping price of rubber.
Urgent measures included training for alternative farming,
reducing rubber cultivation or tapping holiday and having the private
businesses to boost rubber sales, Mr Grisada said.
Farmers could voluntarily join tapping holiday by stopping
cultivation for a couple months in order to lower 500,000 tons of rubber each
month, he noted.
The minister added that the government would in the meantime
promote usage of rubber by all public agencies and boost the price of rubber by
increasing domestic demand.
Crude rubber sheet price has fallen from over Bt100 per
kilograms to between Bt32 and Bt35. The price for cup lump is currently between
Bt12 and Bt14 and field latex between Bt28 and Bt31.
Rubber farmers have
stated protests demanding government’s effective and tangible measures to ease
their plight.(TNA)
