Thailand approves $2.2 billion in help for rice farmersBANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand s government on Friday announced $2.2 billion in loans and handouts to help stabilize prices for rice farmers, a politically influential group whose heartland is in regions where opposition to the military junta is strongest. Thailand s staple food has long been a factor in its politics. The announcement by the commerce ministry came a week after former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled into exile ahead of a court verdict in a criminal negligence case over a rice subsidy scheme that cost billions of dollars. The ministry said it would provide $1.57 billion in handouts to farmers and $633 million in loans that will cover 3.7 million households. The program will span the seasonal harvest from the start of November this year to the end of February 2018.  This is to help take 2 million tonnes of rice from the market,  Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, head of the commerce ministry s department of internal trade, told reporters. The government introduced similar short-term loans and cash handouts for rice farmers last year that cost the state $2.3 billion to cover 4 million households during the same period.  This subsidy program is essentially similar to past rice subsidies introduced by previous governments,  said Somporn Isvilanonda, a senior fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand who is critical of subsidies.  The bottom line is these cash handouts create more debt for farmers,  Somporn said. After hitting a four-year high earlier this year, the price of benchmark Thai 5-percent broken white rice has tumbled by nearly 20 percent over the last two months to $372.50 per tonne, its lowest since April. Thailand s main rice-growing areas are the northeastern and central regions, which have traditionally been strongholds of support for the populist Shinawatra movement of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, who was overthrown in a 2006 coup. worldnews
thailand approves billion help rice farmersbangkok reuters thailand government friday announced billion loans handouts help stabilize prices rice farmers politically influential group whose heartland regions opposition military junta strongest thailand staple food long factor politics the announcement commerce ministry came week former prime minister yingluck shinawatra fled exile ahead court verdict criminal negligence case rice subsidy scheme cost billions dollars the ministry said would provide billion handouts farmers million loans cover million households the program span seasonal harvest start november year end february this help take million tonnes rice market nuntawan sakuntanaga head commerce ministry department internal trade told reporters the government introduced similar loans cash handouts rice farmers last year cost state billion cover million households period this subsidy program essentially similar past rice subsidies introduced previous governments said somporn isvilanonda senior fellow knowledge network institute thailand critical subsidies the bottom line cash handouts create debt farmers somporn said after hitting high earlier year price benchmark thai broken white rice stumbled nearly percent last two months per tonne lowest since april thailand main areas northeastern central regions traditionally strongholds support populist shinawatra movement yingluck brother thaksin overthrown coup worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Thailand approves $2.2 billion in help for rice farmersBANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand s government on Friday announced $2.2 billion in loans and handouts to help stabilize prices for rice farmers, a politically influential group whose heartland is in regions where opposition to the military junta is strongest. Thailand s staple food has long been a factor in its politics. The announcement by the commerce ministry came a week after former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled into exile ahead of a court verdict in a criminal negligence case over a rice subsidy scheme that cost billions of dollars. The ministry said it would provide $1.57 billion in handouts to farmers and $633 million in loans that will cover 3.7 million households. The program will span the seasonal harvest from the start of November this year to the end of February 2018.  This is to help take 2 million tonnes of rice from the market,  Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, head of the commerce ministry s department of internal trade, told reporters. The government introduced similar short-term loans and cash handouts for rice farmers last year that cost the state $2.3 billion to cover 4 million households during the same period.  This subsidy program is essentially similar to past rice subsidies introduced by previous governments,  said Somporn Isvilanonda, a senior fellow at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand who is critical of subsidies.  The bottom line is these cash handouts create more debt for farmers,  Somporn said. After hitting a four-year high earlier this year, the price of benchmark Thai 5-percent broken white rice has tumbled by nearly 20 percent over the last two months to $372.50 per tonne, its lowest since April. Thailand s main rice-growing areas are the northeastern and central regions, which have traditionally been strongholds of support for the populist Shinawatra movement of Yingluck and her brother Thaksin, who was overthrown in a 2006 coup. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: thailand approves billion help rice farmersbangkok reuters thailand government friday announced billion loans handouts help stabilize prices rice farmers politically influential group whose heartland regions opposition military junta strongest thailand staple food long factor politics the announcement commerce ministry came week former prime minister yingluck shinawatra fled exile ahead court verdict criminal negligence case rice subsidy scheme cost billions dollars the ministry said would provide billion handouts farmers million loans cover million households the program span seasonal harvest start november year end february this help take million tonnes rice market nuntawan sakuntanaga head commerce ministry department internal trade told reporters the government introduced similar loans cash handouts rice farmers last year cost state billion cover million households period this subsidy program essentially similar past rice subsidies introduced previous governments said somporn isvilanonda senior fellow knowledge network institute thailand critical subsidies the bottom line cash handouts create debt farmers somporn said after hitting high earlier year price benchmark thai broken white rice stumbled nearly percent last two months per tonne lowest since april thailand main areas northeastern central regions traditionally strongholds support populist shinawatra movement yingluck brother thaksin overthrown coup worldnews