BANGKOK, 26 (TNA) — The palm oil growers from the southern provinces will travel to Bangkok this weekend to urge the government to assist them in switching to the use of biodiesel B100 for cars with an aim to llift palm oil prices.
Assuring the government the safety on using biodiesel B100 for vehicles, Chayodom Suwanvattana, chairman of palm oil growers in Krabi province, said growers who are travelling in some 100 cars will assemble at Bangkok’s Lumpini Park this Sunday and plan to meet Energy Minister Siri Jirapongphan the next day to explore ways to shore up palm oil prices.
Tests on using approximately 200,000 litres of biodiesel B100 with cars have been conducted in the past six months and no deficiency on car engine has been found so far, said Mr Chayadom.
The planned gathering is aimed at demonstrating the use of B100 which is an option to absorb the suplus of palm oil which is also friendly to the envornment. It can also help easing the smog that hit Bangokok and surrounding provinces.
Mr Chayodom said government assistance in the past including some 3 billion baht subsidy annually for the growers and another 1 billion baht on using palm for the production of electricity are futile because palm oil prices are now at between 2.30 – 2.40 baht per kilogramme while production costs are at 3.60-3.80 baht per kigogramme.
He insisted that a reasonable price that growers would be satisfied would be at the minimum of 4 baht per kilogramme and if biodiesel B100 is used the price of palm oil could increase. (TNA)
