- Published: 13/10/2012 at 12:00 AM
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday dismissed reports that the government needed the cargo terminal as Transport Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan revealed that the Commerce Ministry's Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) will inspect the building on Monday to check its suitability for keeping rice.
In response to media reports that the government was considering using Cargo Terminal 2 as an additional warehouse for the scheme, Ms Yingluck insisted there was no need as the current warehouses were sufficient for the purpose.
She said several state agencies had contacted the government and proposed more places to store the pledged rice, but the fact was that the spaces already arranged by the Commerce Ministry were capable of accommodating it.
Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom echoed Ms Yingluck's remark that the ministry's warehouses were able to store the entire amount of rice pledged under the scheme.
But Mr Jarupong said the airport was contacted by the PWO, the agency responsible for storing the pledged rice, to inspect the cargo terminal on Monday with a view to turning it into a new warehouse.
He said the terminal was capable of accommodating about 157,000 tonnes of unmilled rice.
However, Mr Jarupong said the final decision on the terminal would rest with the Commerce Ministry.
As for concerns over possible floods at the airport, as happened last year, Mr Jarupong said the floor of the cargo terminal was adjustable and could be raised to the same level as that of a cargo truck.
The airport is also now surrounded by a concrete floodwall about 13km in length, he said.
"This scheme is a key policy that the Pheu Thai Party promised to do when campaigning in the election, and I think those who came out to object to the scheme were all people who would lose if the programme proves successful," Mr Jarupong said.
The reason the government had to store the pledged rice for the time being was not because it had a problem with exporting the product but because it needed to wait until rice prices improved in the world market, he said.
Mr Jarupong said the purpose of the rice pledging scheme was to prevent farmers from suffering by having to sell their products at prices that are way too low.
As for the exact amount of rice being pledged, Ms Yingluck said the Commerce Ministry did have figures but it would be better to reveal a complete report on the pledged rice at the end of the project at the end of next year.
Opposition and Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said what Ms Yingluck was doing was tantamount to stressing that the government was pressing ahead with a policy to make Thailand a country that grows rice to be stored in warehouses.
He was responding to her latest order for the Interior and Transport ministries and local administration organisations to find more warehouses for storing rice under the pledging scheme.
Mr Abhisit said this order was not a good one and did not bode well for the future, and it was strange that the prime minister and agencies concerned refused to revise the policy and kept on defending it.
The more the government attempted to explain the scheme, the more confusing it became, he said, adding that the problem lay with the policy itself, not with any particular ministry that was assigned to handle the pledging.
Share your thoughts
- Discussion 1 : 13/10/2012 at 07:30 PM
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The floor is adjustable? In your dreams! If it were adjustable then why did it not get adjusted last year during the floods. What fools lead this country!
- Discussion 2 : 13/10/2012 at 06:26 PM
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Englishbob, #20. By default I favour Yingluck over Abhisit, but like many such I am not a "blind follower of fashion". I suspect there are many others like me, unlike the anti PT brigade who all march in lockstep.
I have never thought the rice pledging scheme was a good idea, it could only work in an uncorrupt society, which Thailand patently is not, no matter which party is in power.
Before you lump everyone who does not think as you do as a Red fanboy, I would suggest you examine yourself, what should I call you a Padlette?
- Discussion 3 : 13/10/2012 at 05:31 PM
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If there is one positive to be taken from the continued farce of the Rice Pledging Tomfoolery, it's that most of the PT supporters on BP have stopped trying to defend the indefensible.
As usual, the stories which show PT in a negative light are attacked at first, but after continued scrutiny, the Red Fanboys slink away and look for a pretty picture of Yingluck or a story of Thaksin going on holiday somewhere.
- Discussion 4 : 13/10/2012 at 02:31 PM
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And some people say the Coup was undemocratic.
The public and especially the parliament has a right to know how the Gov spents every single Baht.
Only dictators have secret deals. The way this gov behaves is undemocratic.
- Discussion 5 : 13/10/2012 at 01:36 PM
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In industry, if you are just piling up whatever widget you are making, and they aren't constantly flowing out into the market to be consumed - you are creating a bubble. Bubbles destroy economic stability across not just the industry in question, but impact the economy as a whole. This is reckless policy aimed at people uninformed about the devastating long-term effects of artificially rigging markets.
- Discussion 6 : 13/10/2012 at 01:30 PM
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Oh I get it know. The hub of riceness is going to starve the world of rice by stockpiling, then dictate the sell price to these desperate countries. Brilliant strategy thought out from the back of a camel.
- Discussion 7 : 13/10/2012 at 01:28 PM
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"The reason the government had to store the pledged rice for the time being was not because it had a problem with exporting the product but because it needed to wait until rice prices improved in the world market,he said".
They actually think all people in this country has the same level of education(University of Soi Khao San)as PTP-voters and UDD supporters. The rice will rot away.
"Mr Jarupong said the purpose of the rice pledging scheme was to prevent farmers from suffering by having to sell their products at prices that are way too low".
The only reason farmers suffer is the middlemen,politicians,officials and the fact that the price of fertilizers and pesticides has this strange tendency to go up when the rice price go up.
- Discussion 8 : 13/10/2012 at 11:43 AM
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Of course electioneering promises can become embarrassments. But Pheu Thai has never admitted the losses that were incurred by a similar scheme when the Man Now Abroad was in power. And we know why he is defending the present scheme from his self-imposed exile. The latest to-ing and fro-ing about storage is farcical.
- Discussion 9 : 13/10/2012 at 11:09 AM
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'The reason the government had to store the pledged rice for the time being was not because it had a problem with exporting the product but because it needed to wait until rice prices improved in the world market, he said'.
Is this a script for a comedy ?
- Discussion 10 : 13/10/2012 at 10:44 AM
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We all get that the government wants to help the poor rice farmer. OK. Why not let the market forces prevail and provide a supplement income check to the rice farmer to make up the difference between prevailing prices and what the government wants to provide the farmer. This way the farmer gains directly, market prices are not manipulated and the middle man is cut out. In the long run this will save the government money that can be applied to other programs.
- Discussion 11 : 13/10/2012 at 10:09 AM
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A grown up governemnt wouldn't have to hide rice in warehouses and make a secret deals to unload it because they paid twice what it is worth .Grown ups don't also run from their problems .What country is he hiding in ?
- Discussion 12 : 13/10/2012 at 09:46 AM
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This smells heavily of more scams and lies from this incompetent government!!
- Discussion 13 : 13/10/2012 at 08:27 AM
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Before never stock rice problem happened... That means the export of rice go down...
Because of the last year flood, the rice production is less, but there is a problem in stocking rice... Sorry, I cannot solve this mathematic problem. Could you help me ?
- Discussion 14 : 13/10/2012 at 08:15 AM
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more simple idea ,sell the rice at market price ? and then you dont have the burden of storage and transportation,rather than interference and manipulating the price ,from a convicted criminal who wants his share
- Discussion 15 : 13/10/2012 at 07:57 AM
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If the Cargo Airport has so much available space that means........the export/import business at Cargo Airport went down a lot. Isn't it ?
- Discussion 16 : 13/10/2012 at 07:41 AM
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In my life apart from military secrets I have never found a good reason to "hide" information which should be freely available to anyone with a right to know.
In this case as the taxpayers of the country are supplying the money and the government is spending it then the taxpayers have the right to know how much, where and when the money is spent in a transparent manner.
Only people and governments with something to hide will not explain and to say that they will tell the people but not for another year is a slap in the face for ALL Thais except those getting richer at the peoples expense.
- Discussion 17 : 13/10/2012 at 07:31 AM
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Mr Jarupong said the floor of the cargo terminal was adjustable and could be raised to the same level as that of a cargo truck. Wow! Must be the only one in the world that is designed to be adjusted. What about the 1,000's of tonnes of weight? Doesn't Mr Jarupong think about things before making statements? Then again, anything to justify the PTP rice scheme.
- Discussion 18 : 13/10/2012 at 06:53 AM
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Has Thai Rice become a WMD, requiring total secrecy?
- Discussion 19 : 13/10/2012 at 06:32 AM
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Lots of rice for the mice to nibble away at. Just that they will be in human form nibbling away in large chunks. Another free for all gravy train for the politicians to hop on.
- Discussion 20 : 13/10/2012 at 06:19 AM
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Great plan! After they store it at the airport, then they can just load it straight unto cargo planes to deliver to the "secret" buyers they've been talking about. Hope the people of Dubai like lots of expensive rice!
- Discussion 21 : 13/10/2012 at 05:57 AM
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One has to wonder why the government is so reluctant to be transparent with the rice pledging scheme. It does make the government look like they have something to hide. The government keeps saying the the program is about giving the poor farmer more money. If that is the case just tell the truth and let the facts speak for themself. With the facts the country can decide if the scheme is good or not.
- Discussion 22 : 13/10/2012 at 05:49 AM
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The airport will be flooded alright.. with cheap Cambodian rice zipping in over the borders.
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