(AP) — In this photo taken on May 25, 2008, Thai farmers work on their rice field in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand.
Thailand's plan to pay its rice growers far above market rates is expected to push up prices for the staple that feeds almost half the world's people as rice importing nations look to other countries for tightened supplies. A new government in Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, has promised growers higher prices for rice in a scheme that will take effect Oct. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
