Thai farmers call for higher sugar cane price

Sugar cane farmers plan to ask the authorities to set the price of sugar cane at 1,400 baht a tonne for the 2023-24 crop year, which is higher than the estimated price to be tabled by the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB). An initial calculation by the OCSB suggests an average sugar cane price of 1,370 baht a tonne, said Verasak Kwanmuang, a farmers' representative who sits on the board. He said the calculation is based on several factors, including the cabinet's decision to increase the ex-factory sugar price by two baht a kilogramme to better align it with higher production costs. The board is scheduled to discuss the price before holding a public consultation on Dec 8. It will meet again on Dec 9 to give the final say to the sugar cane price in the new crop year. Narathip Anantasuk, head of Thailand Sugarcane Planters Federation, said the federation will ask the board to consider a price increase from 1,370 to 1,400 baht a tonne because the latter will be more suitable ...