BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun met with the Thai Rice Farmers Association on April 26, 2026, to outline a comprehensive end-to-end strategy for the rice sector.
At the association’s annual general meeting in Ayutthaya, attended by representatives from 58 provinces, the Deputy Prime Minister addressed the multiple crises facing farmers. These include the global economic slowdown, geopolitical volatility, rising energy costs, and climate uncertainty, all of which threaten long-term agricultural stability.
The Minister received a strategic proposal from the association outlining six urgent measures and five long-term goals. In response, the Ministry of Commerce is coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives through a three-phase framework comprising upstream, midstream, and downstream phases.
The upstream phase focuses on rapidly developing high-quality, high-yield rice varieties. With Thailand’s average yield of 400–700 kg per rai trailing global competitors, the government will promote optimized production methods to reduce costs and significantly increase efficiency.
The midstream phase emphasizes value-added processing by equipping local communities with modern machinery and technical expertise. This enables farmers to convert raw paddy into high-value products, manage sales more effectively, and better withstand market price fluctuations.
In the downstream phase, the Ministry will stabilize prices through real-time data tracking and market linking. A key initiative is the “Refined Rice” concept, which highlights premium quality, storytelling, and superior packaging to access high-value global markets.
The Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed that the ultimate goal is to make Thai rice a competitive, high-value product that ensures sustainable and increased income for the nation’s farmers. (NNT)
