The New Nation - Internet Edition

THAILAND has come up with a 7-year-old idea of floating an organisation consisting of five Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam with the aim of having control over export prices of rice. This proposal which was mooted in 2001 remained dormant so long. Experts, however, are reported to have opined that such a proposal is likely to go 'nowhere'. They identified inability of the governments to co-operate with one another, impossibility of establishing control over the farmers on the question of price and choice of crop cultivation and buyers' option to go elsewhere for rice import as the main causes for the probable failure of the initiative. The countries may need some understanding over export price. So long as this is considered the lone purpose of the formation of the body, the proposal may not appear to have bright prospects.

Despite technological advancement, agriculture all over the world is still dependent on natural factors in varying degrees. Because of natural calamities being exacerbated by climate change, a rice exporting country may slide down to a deficit one. So, food security is a vital and probably the most important issue before any of these countries as well. In view of the ongoing global food crisis strengthening of food security has come to the fore. A sufficient food stock is also necessary to have control on prices. In view of all these factors, the proposal for the formation of some regional organisation is a good idea. It may be noted that the countries of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) reached in April 2007 a decision to establish a SAARC Food Bank. Bangladesh with other South Asian countries will be benefited from such a stock. Bangladesh should try to associate itself with similar initiatives taken in the region.