They request an increase of rubber prices to100 THB (3.22 USD) per kg, about 30 percent higher than the market priceof 73 THB per kilo on October 28.
Last month, the Thaigovernment approved a budget of 20 billion THB to help rubber farmerscope with higher production costs following similar demonstrations inSeptember.
However, the Bangkok Post quoted protestleader Teerapong Kaewnual as saying that the offer of subsidy at 2,520THB per rai of rubber plantation (6.25 rai = 1ha) does not meet farmers'needs. He said most farmers do not have land ownership documents,making them ineligible for the subsidy.
Thailand is theworld's biggest rubber producer and exporter. It produces around 3.8million tonnes of rubber sheet a year, around a third of the world'soutput, and exports 90 percent of that amount.
The price ofThai rubber sheet is little changed from the end of 2012, due to weakdemand from China and other big consumers.-VNA