BANGKOK, Thailand – The government is expanding agricultural export markets and boosting support for farmers’ incomes after Thai rice exports to ASEAN countries rose 109% in the first nine months of 2026. Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana stated that the Ministry of Commerce, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun, is expanding export opportunities, promoting value-added agricultural products, and strengthening oversight of purchasing practices.
According to the Department of Foreign Trade, Thailand exported about 1.25 million metric tons of rice to ASEAN countries from January to September 2026, up 109% year on year. The Philippines and Malaysia were key growth markets, offsetting declines in exports to Iraq. The Ministry has also pursued trade negotiations and requested an extension of the Philippine import permit for over 36,000 tons of Thai rice affected by shipping delays.
For cassava, the government is focusing on higher-value processed products and exploring markets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany, and the United States. The government is also drafting a cassava development strategy for 2027–2030. Domestically, the spokesperson said the Cabinet approved in principle two rice support schemes on October 20, targeting 4.5 million tons of paddy rice. These include a three-million-ton loan program to delay rice sales and a 1.5-million-ton program supporting rice collection and value addition by farmers’ institutions. These figures represent program targets, not completed purchases.
To promote fair agricultural trade, authorities inspected more than 300 animal feed corn purchasing facilities across 21 provinces between August and September and identified 15 violations related to moisture-measuring equipment. The spokesperson emphasized that farmers’ actual earnings depend on production costs, crop quality, yields, and market access. Authorities will continue to coordinate export promotion, domestic market development, and fair purchasing practices. Farmers experiencing unfair pricing, weighing, or moisture measurements can report complaints to the Department of Internal Trade hotline at 1569. (NNT)
