InfoQuest (August 27, 2019) -- Energy Minister Sonthirat Sonthisajirawong attributed the surging price of palm at home to the measures to encourage the consumption of B10 and B20 diesel in vehicles. Meanwhile, the refineries purchased more palm from the plantations, which helped consume the palm piled up in excess of requirement in August. Thus the price of palm rose to about 3.00 baht per kilogram from 2.00 baht per kilogram.
"The recent increase in the palm price, which I think will benefit farmers a lot and also showed the success of the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Energy and other agencies, as the measures implemented drove the surge of the price offered by the refineries in the southern provinces with large areas of palm plantation such as Surat Thani, Krabi and Chumphon.
Of these, the purchasing price of the oil palm fruit in these areas kept climbing. In particular, in Krabi, the average purchase price on August 26, 2019 was pegged at 3.00-3.40 baht per kilogram, higher than that on August 1, 2019 which was 2.20-2.80 baht per kilogram. The current purchase price in Surat Thani has also risen to between 3.00 and 3.30 baht per kilogram.
Mr. Sonthirat is going to conduct field visit in the oil palm cultivation regions, aiming to promote the sales of palm after the harvest season in September this year. Meanwhile, he will meet local palm farmers to boost the confidence of parties concerned and convince them that the government will effectively address the price issue of the palm oil, drive the economic growth of the southern regions and improve the living standards of the farmers.
Source: InfoQuest, by Wilawan Pongpitak / Sasithorn, translated by Xinhua Silk Road
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