PHICHIT, 7 January 2014 (NNT) – Rice growers from five lower Northern provinces have blocked a major highway in Phichit in a bid to pressure the government to speed up payment owed under the rice-pledging scheme.

About 500 farmers from Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Sukhothai and Kamphaeng Phet have sealed off highway number 117, which links the province to the rest of the northern region and to Bangkok. They have expressed their anger at the government’s delay in distributing the funds from the scheme, which is five months overdue.

Police have opened up another lane on the highway to alleviate traffic after the Bangkok-bound lane was closed off. Plans to block more lanes are being mulled by the protesters.

News source: NNT