Bangkok: The Cabinet has approved a series of measures aimed at stabilizing paddy rice prices for the 2025/26 production year, allocating a budget of 61.697 billion baht. This decision was announced by Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak and is part of a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
According to Thai News Agency, the primary component of the plan is a loan program designed to delay the sale of paddy rice, with a total budget of 45.398 billion baht. This amount is divided into a credit limit of 36.232 billion baht and a shortfall payment limit of 9.16631 billion baht. The funds will be distributed in several ways, including a deposit fee of 4.5 billion baht, a compensation limit of 2.130.04 million baht, and reimbursement for the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) amounting to 2,536.27 million baht, which will be funded by BAAC's own resources with future budget allocations requested.
Furthermore, the loan project for rice collection and value-added creation by agricultural institutions includes a total budget of 15,656.25 million baht. This comprises a loan limit of 15,000 million baht and a remaining payment limit of 656.25 million baht. Similar to the previous initiative, the funds will be sourced from the BAAC, with future budget allocations anticipated.
Additionally, a project to compensate rice traders for their interest in stockpiling rice for the 2025/26 production year has been approved, with a total budget of 642 million baht. This budget will be utilized from the mutual fund aimed at assisting farmers as soon as possible. Should these funds prove insufficient, the Department of Internal Trade will seek additional budget allocations as required.