Rubber farmers will rally in Bangkok next Monday to pile pressure on Agriculture Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya over what they see as his failure to adequately address falling rubber prices.
“Chatchai should take responsibility for the mistake,” Tanomkiat Yingchuan, an adviser to the network of rubber farmer groups, said yesterday.
Rubber farmers from provinces across the country will join the rally, he said. Participants would wear black during the protest and read out their statements in Bangkok.
Rubber farmer groups are upset that during Chatchai’s term as agriculture minister, the Thai Rubber Authority formed Thai Rubber Joint Venture Co Ltd in collaboration with five big rubber firms to the detriment of small-scale farmers.
“While the joint venture was supposed to help farmers in principle, it has in practice benefited investors,” Tanomkiat said.
He said his group would demand that the Thai Rubber Authority withdraw from the joint venture and strictly enforce rubber-price management rules.
“Also, we hope the government will seriously promote the use of rubber in the country,” he added.
