Farmers call for help as sugarcane price plunges
STRESSED out sugarcane farmers in the Northeast who are suffering from historically low price of their crop with a few of them unable to cope having committed suicide urged the government to step in and resolve this problem, Sanook.com reported today (August 21, 2018).
Their plight was revealed by Phirom Pholviset, secretary-general of the Sam Mitr Group (Three Allies), who visited sugarcane farmers in northeastern Chaiyaphum province on August 6.
The farmers told him that the price of their crop had dropped from 1,400 baht a ton last year to only 700 to 900 baht this year.
Some farmers at Baan Nong Haen in Mueang district of Chaiyaphum province had committed suicide because they could no longer cope with the stress of getting this low a price for their sugarcane crop.
Yesterday Sanook.com’s reporters questioned sugarcane farmers at Huai Thalaeng district of northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province and found out that they too are deeply troubled by this low a price of their crop.
Mr Onsa, 67, a farmer at Baan None Ngiew in this district, said he invested in growing sugarcane on 50 rai of land and is getting ready to harvest his crop for sale to Mitr Phol factory.
He urged the government to help with the low price which has dropped from 1,200 baht a ton last year to 900 baht a ton today. Additionally there is a deduction for sweetness with farmers also burdened with increased cost of fertilizers and workers wages.
Farmers in this province urged the government to resolve this problem and adjust the sugarcane price to 1,500 baht a ton to both help them and sugarcane farmers nationwide.
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Top: A sugarcane farmer harvesting his crop. Photo: Sanook.com
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