Bangkok: The Ministry of Agriculture will propose three measures to help farmers at the National Rice Policy Committee meeting tomorrow. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is preparing to propose three key measures to assist rice farmers to the National Rice Policy Council tomorrow. These include expanding the financial assistance for rice farmers who have not yet received it, measures to stabilize paddy rice prices, and a project to promote the cultivation of water-efficient crops as an alternative to off-season rice farming. The aim is to mitigate drought risks and ensure income security for farmers.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suriya Jungrungruangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed that at the National Rice Policy and Management Committee (NRPMC) meeting on June 11th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will propose three important measures to assist rice farmers. These include expanding the assistance fund for rice farmers who have not yet received it, measures to stabilize paddy rice prices, and a project to promote the cultivation of water-efficient crops as an alternative to off-season rice farming, in order to mitigate the risks from El Ni±o. For the first measure, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will propose expanding the budget for the rice farmer assistance program for the 2025/2026 crop year. This will benefit an additional 233,729 households that have not yet received assistance under the measure of 1,000 baht per rai, up to a maximum of 10,000 baht per household, totaling 1,846.96 million baht.
The measures to stabilize paddy rice prices for the 2026/2027 crop year include a paddy rice sales deferral loan program, a loan program for rice collection and value-added creation by agricultural institutions, an interest compensation program for rice traders storing rice, and a paddy rice insurance program. These measures aim to reduce risk, provide stability for farmers, and manage production volume to prevent a simultaneous market release during the harvest season. This will help support and stabilize paddy rice prices to match market conditions.
Another important project to be submitted for consideration by the National Rice Policy Council is the project to promote the cultivation of alternative crops to replace rice farming during the 2026/2027 dry season. This is to prepare for the El Ni±o phenomenon, following the Meteorological Department's forecast that some areas of the country may experience lower-than-normal rainfall. The project will encourage farmers to plant crops that require less water instead of rice farming, in order to reduce the risk of damage that may result from drought.
Mr. Suriya stated that the project's main target crop is animal feed corn, which currently has a high domestic demand of approximately 9 million tons per year, but only 5 million tons are produced annually, with the remainder imported. In addition, farmers can choose to cultivate other cash crops that require less water and have market potential, such as sorghum, soybeans, and mung beans. A preliminary survey of farmer needs conducted by the Department of Agricultural Extension indicates that many farmers are interested in participating in the post-rice harvest corn planting project, aiming to promote cultivation on a total of 1 million rai under a budget of 2 billion baht.
Mr. Suriya further stated that the Cabinet meeting approved a central budget of 290.90 million baht to cover the expenses of management, public relations, and activities for the 2026 Udon Thani International Horticultural Exposition, in accordance with the timeframe and standards of the International Association of Horticultural Proceedings (AIPH). The 2026 Udon Thani International Horticultural Exposition is scheduled to be held from November 1, 2026, to March 14, 2027, in Udon Thani Province. This budget is part of the total budget of 2,500 million baht that the Cabinet had previously approved.