Democrat demands transparency over rice

Democrat Kiat Sittheeamorn said the government should explain just how much rice was being exported, how much rice under the Blue Flag scheme it had provided and how it would manage the stock. Moreover, the public should also be informed of how much rice will be bought directly from farmers and the process of buying it.

The government has failed to deal with the rising prices, he said. Its policies have confused traders, resulting in uncertainty in the domestic rice market and the recent drop in rice-grain prices. Foreign rice traders also disbelieve the government.

The government's claim that there are orders for 6.7 million tonnes is an attempt to manipulate the price, and traders distrust it, Kiat said.

"If what the government says is true, we won't have enough rice for domestic demand. And no foreign country has ordered such a large amount of rice," he said.

"The government announced it would buy paddy rice directly from farmers and planned to export the rice through a special process. This has confused rice traders."

The "special process" is also suspicious, because it could lead to the government trading with companies that have a bad profile, Kiat said.