Steps announced this week by the government to help rubber producers grappling with plunging prices do not go far enough, some farmers said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha today named a retired army general to head the effort to tackle the crisis surrounding falling rubber prices. The appointment of ex-chief of staff Chatchalerm Chalermsuk as president of the Rubber Authority of Thailand came after the cabinet on Tuesday promised to buy some rubber directly from farmers at rates above market levels and announced piecemeal measures including a plan to open up rubber processing factories.
The moves came after protest threats by rubber farmers galvanised a military government that draws much of its support from Bangkok and the South, the country's main rubber-growing region
Farmers have been calling for solutions to falling demand for rubber, driven by a slowdown in the economy of China, the world's biggest importer of the commodity.
The government said it would buy rubber directly from producers at prices of up to 60 baht a kilogramme before the current tree-tapping season ends. But that disappointed some farmers who had been demanding a set price of 60 baht, roughly double current market levels.