Corn farmers rally for help
More than 2,000 corn farmers rallied at Nan provincial hall yesterday demanding additional help to deal with falling crop prices.
The farmers demanded the government extend its corn price guarantee programme for an extra four months.
The programme, which began last month and is due to end in December, guarantees the price of maize with 30% moisture at eight baht per kilogramme and grain with 14.5% moisture at 10 baht/kg.
The guarantee is limited to 30 tonnes per farmer.
The protesters called on the government to extend the programme until the end of April next year to accommodate late-yield crops.
The market price of maize is currently below five baht/kg.
The protest prompted police in Muang district to tighten security outside the provincial hall. Rally leaders threatened to launch a mass protest of northern corn farmers if their demands are not met.