Bangkok: A large group of over 2,000 dairy farmers, led by the Dairy Cooperative Federation of Thailand Limited, gathered at Government House to submit a list of four critical demands to address the ongoing milk surplus and unpaid bills crisis.
According to Thai News Agency, the protest was organized by dairy farmers from across the nation, led by Mr. Subin Pom-ocha. The demonstrators convened at Gate 5 of Government House, where they delivered a letter to the Prime Minister outlining their demands. These demands included the urgent sale of excess milk in stock, expansion of the school milk supplement program to provide milk for children year-round and up to the third year of secondary school, prioritizing the purchase of all fresh milk from farmers before importing powdered milk, and revitalizing the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand, which faces significant unpaid bills for raw milk to cooperatives.
In response to the protest, key government officials, including Mr. Prasert Chantharawongthong, Minister of Education, and Mr. Nikorn Somklang, Minister of Social Development and Human Security, arrived to engage with the protesters. They were accompanied by Mr. Watcharapol Khaokham and Ms. Piyarat Tiyapairat, Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The officials listened to the dairy farmers' concerns and assured them of expedited coordination with relevant agencies to address the issues. They stated that relevant agencies would be invited to answer questions to demonstrate the government's commitment to resolving the dairy industry's challenges.
Mr. Watcharapol Khaokham received the petition to pass on to the Prime Minister, which satisfied the protesters. The farmers set a 15-day deadline for government action and warned of a larger protest if no progress was made. Following this acknowledgment, the protest concluded peacefully, and the farmers dispersed.