PHANG-NGA, 21 Jan 2015, (NNT) – Para rubber planters of Takdad Sub-district in Muang Phang-nga who are members of the Para Rubber Fund Co-operative Phang-nga Limited have been able to increase their income, selling rubber directly to the provincial central market without having to go through middlemen.
According to the planters, the price of rubber is usually quoted at 45 baht per kilogram by middlemen. Through the co-operative, the price has shot up to as much as 58 baht per kilogram.
The co-operative charges only 1 baht per kilogram for transportation and processing fees, much less that that charged by middlemen. 120 tons of rubber sheets were sold in the central market yesterday, generating 1.5 million baht more for Phang-nga rubber planters than they would have, had they been sold to middlemen
The cooperative has 11 branches in 8 districts, said President of Naitonal Rubber Fund Limited, Wiraj Jarungkarn said, adding that rubber farmers joining the co-operative have made significant progress, given several members of the cooperative have been able to purchase machinery for use in their production.
Some branches also buy rubber latex at 48 baht per kilogram, 10 baht higher than the price offered by most processing factories. He said the cooperative then processes the latex into rubber sheets before selling them to the central market.
– thainews.prd.go.th
