Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya said that he planned to lead Thai business operators to visit India and Russia in the near future to explore ways to sell more Thai rubber to the two countries in order to shore up the prices.
Speaking to journalists General Chatchai revealed that he has also asked both the Transport and the Industry Ministries to explore ways to use more natural rubber for their projects.
He had also assigned his assistant to visit and discuss with local rubber growers within this week on problems they are encountering so that the government could find ways to assist them.
According to the minister, average prices of raw natural rubber sheets and smoked rubber sheets in Hat Yai of Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani Provinces in the Thai South now stand at 34-36 baht (RM4.12-4.36) a kilogramme.
The minister pointed out that natural rubber prices have been declining for a certain period on the domestic market in line with global rubber prices.
Regarding demand by the local rubber growers for the Thai government to help raise the domestic rubber price to 60 baht (US$7.27) a kilogramme, the minister admitted that the demand could not not be met immediately.
However, his ministry has implemented eight measures to initially assist local growers, including supporting them to grow other economic crops to substitute rubber to earn their living.
— BERNAMA
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya said that he planned to lead Thai business operators to visit India and Russia in the near future to explore ways to sell more Thai rubber to the two countries in order to shore up the prices.
Speaking to journalists General Chatchai revealed that he has also asked both the Transport and the Industry Ministries to explore ways to use more natural rubber for their projects.
He had also assigned his assistant to visit and discuss with local rubber growers within this week on problems they are encountering so that the government could find ways to assist them.
According to the minister, average prices of raw natural rubber sheets and smoked rubber sheets in Hat Yai of Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani Provinces in the Thai South now stand at 34-36 baht (RM4.12-4.36) a kilogramme.
The minister pointed out that natural rubber prices have been declining for a certain period on the domestic market in line with global rubber prices.
Regarding demand by the local rubber growers for the Thai government to help raise the domestic rubber price to 60 baht (US$7.27) a kilogramme, the minister admitted that the demand could not not be met immediately.
However, his ministry has implemented eight measures to initially assist local growers, including supporting them to grow other economic crops to substitute rubber to earn their living.
— BERNAMA
