Bangkok: Mobilizing resources to address the fertilizer crisis, the Cabinet is promoting the "Green Flag Plus" and "Fertilizer Half-Price Scheme" to tackle the ongoing challenges. The urgent response comes after five fertilizer ships were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, significantly affecting domestic stockpiles initially expected to last until August but now stretching only until May.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Supajee Suthamphan, announced that the government is implementing comprehensive measures covering procurement, stock management, price control, and farmer assistance. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is negotiating to increase import sources of raw materials, while the private sector is importing from countries like Malaysia and Brunei, adjusting fertilizer formulas to enhance supply.
In efforts to control prices, the Ministry of Commerce has requested businesses to freeze fertilizer prices and has conducted inspections, finding 48 offenders in over 1,000 locations, who now face legal action. A public hotline, 1569, has been established for reporting suspicious activities. However, urea fertilizer's dependency on imports means global factors could still influence costs.
For farmer support, the 'Green Flag Plus Fertilizer' project increases aid to 300 baht per bag for up to 5 bags, with an additional 50 baht subsidy for agricultural chemicals, providing a total of 1,550 baht per household. Farmers with a registration book and good soil card are eligible for more benefits, including organic fertilizer coupons, totaling up to 2,100 baht per household.
The "Half-Price Fertilizer" project integrates BAAC and agricultural cooperatives to offer fertilizer formulas suited to local soils and access to low-interest loans, aiming to decrease long-term import reliance. Fertilizer manufacturers are also cutting ex-factory prices by 50 baht per bag for 10 million bags through farmer organizations nationwide.
The government continues to reduce living costs through the "Thai Helps Thai" project, offering discounted consumer goods across 3,000 items in all 77 provinces, with expanded sales points via the Blue Flag project. Support for SME entrepreneurs includes online platform access, shipping cost subsidies, and 500,000 discount coupons to boost consumption and income for small businesses.
These initiatives underscore the government's commitment to supporting agricultural costs and consumer purchasing power amid global economic fluctuations.