Farmers demand rice payments
About 2,000 rice farmers block Highway No. 117 at Pho Sai Ngam intersection in Bung Na Rung district of Phichit province yesterday to demand the government pay over6due money for their long-pledged rice.
The farmers came from Bung Na Rang, Bang Mun Nak and Pho Thale districts. Their representative accused the government of causing farmers hardship because it has delay paying for pledged rice for months.
Meanwhile, farmeas who participate in the government’s ricepledging scheme are struggling to pay off money they borrowed for fertilizers, chemicals and equipment. They said that the government owed moer than 2 billion baht to more than 15,000 local rice farmers.
The protesters demanded a meeting with Phichit governor Surachai Khan-asa who is chairman of the provincial rice committee. But he sent provincial commerce and internal trade officials to meet them.