Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan clarified his remarks yesterday on encouraging farmers to grow bananas, saying the government has no policy to replace rice cultivation with other crops.
Mr Pichai said yesterday that his suggestion was not meant to push rice farmers to switch to growing bananas, but instead it was merely an example of cultivating high-value crops to boost farmers' income.
Rice is the nation's main crop, and the government is committed to doing everything possible to ensure stable incomes for farmers, he said, noting the Commerce Ministry's demonstration farms are to showcase market opportunities abroad.
According to the commerce minister, rice prices dropped after India, one of the world's largest producers, resumed exports.
"It's not about switching from rice to bananas. If farmers can grow bananas to supplement their income, they are encouraged to do so. It's just an example of potential crops," he said in the interview.
As an urgent measure, the National Rice Policy Committee proposed an additional payment of 1,000 baht per tonne for off-season rice, capped at 10 rai per farmer.
For medium- and long-term solutions, he said the government would help farmers earn more income through greater productivity and the expansion of export markets.
Vietnam currently produces 1.3–1.5 tonnes of rice per rai, while Thailand's average yield remains at 600–800 kilogrammes per rai, he noted.
Mr Pichai made the suggestion on Thursday in response to a question from People's Party (PP) MP Narongdech Ularnkul, who enquired about the government's plan to resolve falling rice prices.
Government critics questioned if switching to banana farming was the right approach.
Dr Warong Detkitvikrom, chairman of the Thai Pakdee Party, criticised the minister for making such a suggestion, saying that despite global market fluctuations, domestic rice prices never decreased.
On his Facebook account, Dr Warong posted that while paddy rice prices are low, the prices consumers pay are high, which indicated that traders are making good profits at the expense of farmers.
He called on the government to consider controlling paddy rice prices to ensure fair prices for farmers.
"I believe farmers could sell their paddy at 10,000 baht per tonne without having to switch to banana farming or rely on taxpayer-funded price support schemes," he said.
Chatchawan Paetyathai, an MP from the opposition Thai Sang Thai Party, said rice is the country's main economic crop and the idea of switching from rice to banana farming is not a sustainable solution.
He pointed out that banana farming has high costs, disease risks, and competition from other countries with lower production costs.