Bangkok: The shadow cabinet has called on the government to earnestly tackle the nation's agricultural challenges and avoid diverting loan funds to non-essential projects. Nattapong Weerasethakul, at the helm of the shadow cabinet, emphasized the importance of addressing agricultural problems and urged the exclusion of non-urgent projects from the emergency loan decree.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, led a press conference to share the outcomes of their second meeting. The discussions covered a range of topics, including Thailand's plan to revoke MOU 44, the emergency borrowing decree, and the government's indecision on whether to revisit the draft constitution in parliament, despite substantial public support. Concerns raised by farmers and urgent issues highlighted by the People's Party were also tabled, ahead of the upcoming cabinet meeting.
The administration under Anutin Charnvirakul has been criticized for its inability to resolve the agricultural sector's issues. Farmers across the nation are grappling with a fertilizer shortage and rising costs, exacerbated by the global energy crisis.
Mr. Nattapong stressed that the People's Party's Shadow Cabinet aims to amplify the voices of those neglected by the government. After previously engaging with the transportation and fishing sectors, the party is now focusing on listening to farmers facing challenges with fertilizer availability, high costs, and low prices for agricultural products.
Mr. Nattapong highlighted two primary government failures: the Ministry of Commerce's oversight in the "Green Flag Fertilizer" project, which saw fertilizers sold above recommended prices even at official events, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' aborted plan to purchase 2 million tons of fertilizer from Russia. Instead, the ministry allocated 5-6 billion baht from the central budget for a bio-fertilizer project that does not align with farmers' needs.
He also criticized the government's 400 billion baht loan decree, noting the lack of preparedness to address the deepening agricultural crisis. Mr. Nattapong argued that the government's priorities should focus on alleviating the hardships faced by various communities rather than attempting to recover declining popularity through financial distributions.
The People's Party proposed allocating 40 billion baht from the emergency loan decree to offer extensive support to farmers and maintain a reserve for ongoing monitoring until 2026.
In contrast, under a People's Party government, the ministries would have clearly defined roles: the Ministry of Agriculture would handle international fertilizer procurement, while the Ministry of Commerce would manage price control and imports. They would also ensure transparency in fertilizer quantities and pricing to aid farmers' daily operations. Additionally, efforts would be made to gather data on soil quality and agricultural productivity to improve the competitiveness of Thailand's agricultural sector sustainably.