Thailand Farmers Demand Higher Guaranteed Prices

Rice farmers in northeastern Thailand are threatening a protest by blocking a major highway unless the government boosts its guaranteed prices for rice harvested during the current 2008/2009 season.

Northeastern Farmers Assembly chairman Paradorn Posri on Tuesday submitted the paddy farmers demand to the Deputy Prime Minister Olarn Chaipravat asking him to review the government's guaranteed price for rice reached during a Cabinet meeting.

The farmer leader has said that the northeastern rice growers would give the government 10 days to reply and if not they would block the highway in Khon Kaen for an indefinite period.