Let alone domestic consumption... If we do, should we join the "OREC" countries, proposed by Thai Prime Minister?
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has floated the idea of Thailand forming a rice price-fixing cartel with four Mekong countries _ Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. His idea is to make the grouping of Mekong nations more like the oil cartel Opec, and it would be called the Organisation of Rice Exporting Countries (Orec).
The prime minister said he raised the idea with his Burmese counterpart, Gen Thein Sein, who is on a three-day official visit to Thailand.
Mr Samak said Gen Thein Sein agreed with his rice cartel idea.
Mr Samak said he learned from the Burmese prime minister that Burma produced rice only to meet local demand and so it did not export rice.
He urged Burma to produce more rice and join forces with Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand in the proposed Orec which will collectively set rice prices.
Mr Samak said he would offer assistance to Burma to enable it to boost rice productivity.
Samak: Urged Burma to produce more rice
Thein Sein: Now on visit to Thailand
Apart from the rice issue, the two prime ministers focused on the development of Tavoy deep-sea port, a 130-kilometre-long road from the port to the Thai-Burmese border and another road section, 20 kilometres long, to reach the Thai railway network.
From the railway connection, a gas pipeline will be laid to the industrial zone of Map Ta Phut in Rayong.
Besides, iron and copper could be transported from Burma for smelting in Map Ta Phut, Mr Samak said.
In addition, the Thai railway network will be connected with China's Kunming through Laos.
Mr Samak said he would discuss the railway network with Chinese President Hu Jintao during his official visit to China on May 15.
''I will talk about new railway tracks that will be built from Kunming to (Laos') Luang Nam Tha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Pachi district of Ayutthaya province, Kanchanaburi province and the Tavoy deep-sea port. The project will be implemented soon,'' Mr Samak said.
Let alone domestic consumption... If we do, should we join the "OREC" countries, proposed by Thai Prime Minister?
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has floated the idea of Thailand forming a rice price-fixing cartel with four Mekong countries _ Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. His idea is to make the grouping of Mekong nations more like the oil cartel Opec, and it would be called the Organisation of Rice Exporting Countries (Orec).
The prime minister said he raised the idea with his Burmese counterpart, Gen Thein Sein, who is on a three-day official visit to Thailand.
Mr Samak said Gen Thein Sein agreed with his rice cartel idea.
Mr Samak said he learned from the Burmese prime minister that Burma produced rice only to meet local demand and so it did not export rice.
He urged Burma to produce more rice and join forces with Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand in the proposed Orec which will collectively set rice prices.
Mr Samak said he would offer assistance to Burma to enable it to boost rice productivity.
Samak: Urged Burma to produce more rice
Thein Sein: Now on visit to Thailand
Apart from the rice issue, the two prime ministers focused on the development of Tavoy deep-sea port, a 130-kilometre-long road from the port to the Thai-Burmese border and another road section, 20 kilometres long, to reach the Thai railway network.
From the railway connection, a gas pipeline will be laid to the industrial zone of Map Ta Phut in Rayong.
Besides, iron and copper could be transported from Burma for smelting in Map Ta Phut, Mr Samak said.
In addition, the Thai railway network will be connected with China's Kunming through Laos.
Mr Samak said he would discuss the railway network with Chinese President Hu Jintao during his official visit to China on May 15.
''I will talk about new railway tracks that will be built from Kunming to (Laos') Luang Nam Tha, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Pachi district of Ayutthaya province, Kanchanaburi province and the Tavoy deep-sea port. The project will be implemented soon,'' Mr Samak said.
source: Bangkok Post
Those 2 grandpa must stay home and bay sitting, they cant run the country. The old fart! otherwise, they must die soon.
wonderful idea ! but we have to adapt ourselve a lot to meet the requirement of labor force and skill because few people like this kind of job and most of ricefields necessary to grow rice had been transformed into land for housing... regards.
It is a good idea for Laos where numer of farmers are more than 80% of our populaution.
The OREC would keep a rice price fixed and probably high. That would only encourage our farmers to work harder and gain more income.
However, to do that successfully, Laos needs to build more irrigation sytem that would guarantee the rice plantation. In addition, Laos should use new technology to grow rice. In Vietnam they can plant rice 3 times a year. So, it would be no harm to learn from them.
Anyone can tell me if the water from Mekong river is suitable for rice plantation in Laos? Mekong river is not salty? too much particle? too much pollutants?
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej piqued global interest this week when he suggested the formation of a rice cartel with other producers, a government spokesman said.
Rice prices have tripled this year, reaching $1,000 a ton for 100 percent Grade B white rice.
The idea came as his deputy and commerce minister proposed a rice producer summit that would include Thailand, Vietnam, India and China. Only India has so far voiced support; it is second to Thailand as the world's largest rice producer.
The notion of a rice cartel comes amid skyrocketing food prices that have been linked -- at least in part -- to rising energy costs, the business of another cartel: the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. Its 12 member nations supply about 40 percent of the world's oil.
Laos Foreign Ministry spokesman Yong Chanthalansy said Friday the Laotian government would "seriously consider" the idea of creating a cartel to gain "bargaining power," The Associated Press reported.
"Our priority is to help vulnerable groups in the country, both the producers and consumers," AP quoted Yong as saying. "We are especially vulnerable because we are a landlocked country so everything depends on irrigation."
Cambodia, which in the past has championed the rice cartel idea, also welcomed the latest proposal and said it was a "necessity" given the current global food crisis, AP reported.
"By forming an association, we can help prevent a price war and exchange information about food security," AP quoted Cambodia's chief government spokesman Khieu Kanharith as saying.
The United Nations is establishing a task force to address what it calls a global food crisis.
In early April, the Indian government announced a ban on exports of low-grade rice, which is essentially produced for domestic consumption, in an effort to control a surge in local food prices amid tightening supplies.
"There's no shortage of rice in India, but our buffer stock of rice has fallen. This means we could be going into the danger zone," said Amit Mitra, secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
Vietnam and Cambodia -- other major rice producers -- also have placed restrictions on rice exports.
Meanwhile, the Thai cabinet recently decided to release more than 2 million tons of rice to the domestic market in order to maintain the price of rice in the country. The typical goal of a cartel is to regulate prices.
Last week in the United States, warehouse retailer Sam's Club, a Wal-Mart division, announced it would begin limiting specialty rice sales. A similar retailer, Costco, reportedly took similar action, but no limits were put on the purchase of the mass-market rice that's primarily consumed in the United States.
you've got to give credit to the man. he has the rice idea. i know that laos has been growing rice in both wet & dry seasons. assuming that more than 50% of population are rice farmers. this will benefit agribusiness. we have the infustracture in place already - land, water, machine, manpower. but we've got to turn them into big profitable agribusiness. Thailand and vietnam are great examples. right now goverment are responsible for running for all sort of businesses therefore collecting revenue from those businesses. i don't think optimum tax revenue have been collected. therefore government are to blame if the standard of living has not improved for people of laos. i would assume tax incomes derive from private companies only make up less than 35%. if only 35% people generate income for the whole country then we have situation. if 15% of those 50% farmers make their businesses work then it's very rosy for laos or at least break even. in future there are needs fore more rice since rice are being used to other stuffs for human needs instead of neccessity such as food. the plan has its merit. they should form a group. i like the idea.
