bangkok thailand government friday announce 2.2 billion loan handouts help stabilize price rice farmers politically influential group whose heartland regions opposition military junta strong thailand staple food long factor politics announcement commerce ministry come week former prime minister yingluck shinawatra flee exile ahead court verdict criminal negligence case rice subsidy scheme cost billions dollars ministry say would provide 1.57 billion handouts farmers 633 million loan cover 3.7 million households program span seasonal harvest start november year end february 2018. help take million tonnes rice market nuntawan sakuntanaga head commerce ministry department internal trade tell reporters government introduce similar short-term loan cash handouts rice farmers last year cost state 2.3 billion cover million households period subsidy program essentially similar past rice subsidies introduce previous governments say somporn isvilanonda senior fellow knowledge network institute thailand critical subsidies bottom line cash handouts create debt farmers somporn say hit four-year high early year price benchmark thai 5-percent break white rice tumble nearly 20 percent last two months 372.50 per tonne low since april thailand main rice-growing areas northeastern central regions traditionally strongholds support populist shinawatra movement yingluck brother thaksin overthrow 2006 coup thailand approve 2.2 billion help rice farmers