Bangkok: Farmers are anxiously awaiting government policy decisions after the fuel price freeze expires, fearing increased farming costs. The president of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturists Association revealed that they are closely monitoring government policy, as the fuel price freeze is set to end today. This comes amidst concerns that rising fuel prices will further exacerbate production costs, particularly for areas currently harvesting their second rice crop and preparing for the main rice crop. The costs of water pumping, machinery use, and transportation of produce all heavily rely on fuel.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Pramote Charoensilp, president of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturists Association, said that farmers are currently suffering greatly from the fuel shortage problem because it is the harvesting season for the second rice crop, and many gas stations are limiting the purchase of fuel in gallons. Furthermore, today marks the end of the fuel price freeze. If fuel prices rise or there is a shortage, it will directly affect rice farming, as every step, from pumping water and preparing the fields to harvesting and transporting the produce, requires fuel.

Currently, the cost of rice production is approximately 6,500-7,000 baht per rai, not including the fluctuations in the prices of other production inputs that farmers must bear, such as fuel costs, fertilizer costs, and agricultural machinery expenses. All of these affect the survival of farmers during periods of low global rice prices. Mr. Pramote stated that the Thai Farmers and Agriculturists Association wants the government to consider appropriate measures to manage fuel prices in order to alleviate the burden of production costs for farmers during this crucial period. This would help farmers continue harvesting and start the main rice farming season without interruption due to energy cost problems.

Furthermore, the situation regarding chemical fertilizers continues to be monitored. Although the Department of Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce, confirms that fertilizer stocks are sufficient for the upcoming new production season, retail prices have already increased in some areas, especially urea fertilizer, which is the most widely used by farmers. Therefore, oversight is requested to alleviate the hardship faced by farmers.