200 rice farmers from Mae Rim, Sanpatong, Doi Saket and Hang Dong travelled to the Chiang Mai Provincial Agricultural Extension Office to ask for a solution to the current rice price, which they say has dropped to a lower level than it has for years.
According to the group the Sanpatong strain of sticky husk rice, commonly grown in Chiang Mai, and currently being harvested, has had its price dropped to only 7.50 baht per kg, down from what used to be 11-12 baht. This will dramatically affect earnings of farmers across Chiang Mai.
Farmers ask the government to guarantee at least 10 baht per kg and want an answer within this month.
A representative of the group claims that it is the government’s importing of Vietnamese rice which has created this problem. He says that many farmers have debilitating debt and only the government can help. The Agricultural Office says that it will have a solution for the farmers by the end of the week.
This harvest Chiang Mai will be producing 302,113 tonnes of rice, grown on 486,940 rai of land.