Bangkok: "Suriya" awaits Malaysia's response regarding negotiations on Thai shrimp exports before joining the Prime Minister's delegation for discussions during his visit next month. Negotiations to resolve the issue of Thai shrimp exports to Malaysia remain stalled, despite the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives having sent a letter requesting talks. Minister Suriya emphasized that Thailand has prepared all necessary information and documents and is ready to join the Prime Minister's delegation to Malaysia in July, hoping to use the opportunity to discuss ways to quickly resume Thai shrimp exports.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed that he has not yet received a response from the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security regarding a date for negotiations on easing restrictions on Thai shrimp exports to Malaysia and Malaysian sea bass exports to Thailand. The Minister stated that the Ministry has prepared the necessary technical information and documents for the negotiations. He is scheduled to participate in an official visit to Malaysia with the Prime Minister in July, and expects to use this opportunity to discuss the matter with the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to foster understanding and expedite the return to normal Thai shrimp exports.
Regarding the proposal from shrimp farmers to receive government compensation of 20 baht per kilogram and the establishment of a Shrimp Board to oversee the shrimp price structure, Mr. Suriya stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is not ignoring the issue and is currently discussing it with the Ministry of Commerce, the main agency responsible for marketing and price mechanisms, to consider appropriate ways to assist farmers. He emphasized that the government will expedite the resolution of the problems related to Thai shrimp exports while simultaneously maintaining domestic price stability to minimize the impact on shrimp farmers and preserve the competitiveness of the Thai shrimp industry in the global market.