July 12, 2013

As they poured milk onto the street during the protest to show their disapproval of the price, Thailand's dairy farmers from five provinces gathered to demand an increase in raw milk price, which has recently plunged.

A group of over 1,000 dairy farmers from Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Phatthalung gathered at the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO)'s southern office to protest against the low price of raw milk. The protest was led by Somkhit, President of the Southern Dairy Cooperatives, who raised complaints about the price of milk plummeting. The farmers expressed their discontent by pouring milk over a transvestite taking part in the protest in front of the DPO department building and onto the street.

According to Somkhit, dairy farmers have been facing heavy losses as a result of the THB300 (US$9.64) minimum wage. They have also been hammered by the increase of raw material prices including animal feed, which presently costs THB15 (US$0.50) per kilogramme (kg). However, the price of milk/kg remains at THB18 (US$0.60), but in reality farmers can only sell it at THB16.50/kg (US$0.53), which is equivalent to one litre. Somkhit, therefore, demanded that the price of raw milk be increased from the current THB18 (US$0.58) per litre to THB20 baht (US$0.64) per litre.