Commerce and Deputy Prime Minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan on Friday asked the Ministry of Defence to provide military personnel to help guard rice stockpiles across the country.
The request was made after state rice stockpiles were ransacked in several central provinces due to high demands by market mechanisms.The rice theft prevention alert was primarily exercised in so-called ‘red-zones’, high-risk areas in relation to the ongoing insurgency, or those provinces recently affected such as Pichit, Nakhon Sawan, Sukhothai, Chai Nat and Suphan Buri.
The Department of Internal Trade will then begin inspecting local rice stockpiles across the country, beginning Saturday (April 12), according to Director-General of the Internal Trade Yanyong Phuangrat.
The Commerce Ministry’s call to have rice stockpiles nationwide under military surveillance would be effective until the rice price crisis resolved, said Mr. Yanyong. (TNA)
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