Four out of five people believe the government should subsidise a wide range of crops, not just rice, according to a survey by Nida Poll.
The pollster at the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) surveyed 1,253 people in all regions on Aug 27 and 28.
A total of 83.40% of respondents agreed that the government should provide assistance to all farmers along the lines of its rice subsidy scheme, since prices for agricultural products were very low and production costs on the rise, Nida Poll said.
On the protests by rubber and palm oil farmers in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 34% of respondents said government had refused their requests because the guaranteed prices they are demanding are too high in relation to the global market.
A further 30.57% said government has ignored the protesters' demands because they are farmers in the South, which is not a stronghold of coalition partners in the Pheu Thai-led government.
Almost a quarter, or 23.46%, said they believe the government is actually unable to help the rubber and palm oil farmers because it has insufficient budget funds.
Asked why the rubber and palm oil famers are staging protests, 51.14% of those polled said it was because they are facing financial hardship as a result of low product prices, 25.51% put it down to the fact that government made an election promise to help them, but failed to do so, and 20.33% said the protests were political and intended to pressure ministers.