Commerce Ministry delighted with successful results in pushing up prices of primary and secondary agricultural crops

The Ministry of Commerce is pleased to show the successful results of agricultural product management measures, both main and secondary crops. It revealed that the main agricultural crops, rice, rubber, palm, corn, and cassava, have increased in price. As for secondary crops, it uses a new concept of "Big people helping small people" to attract entrepreneurs, gas stations, department stores, villages, and condominiums to help buy products, pushing prices up as well. The government does not have to intervene, saving the budget. It revealed that the price of main and secondary crops has increased by 23%, worth almost 200 billion baht, bringing smiles to 7.4 million farmer households nationwide. Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, said after chairing the announcement of the success of the implementation of the secondary crop care measures, which is a collaboration between the public and private sectors of more than 12 business groups, 20 groups, and 27 agencies in accordan ce with the policy of Mr. Settha Thavisin, Prime Minister, who has given importance to taking care of the well-being of farmers because Thailand is an agricultural country with a population of more than 27 million people or 40% in the agricultural sector. There is a volume of 87.7 million tons of main economic crops, including rice, cassava, corn, palm, rubber, and 8.24 million tons of secondary crops, including fruits, three-tuber plants, and vegetables, totaling more than 96 million tons per year, with a combined value of more than 1.32 trillion baht, accounting for 9% of GDP, and Thailand can generate income from agricultural and agro-industrial exports in 2023 of more than 1.69 trillion baht. 'Today, the economy is sluggish and there is a lack of purchasing power. Our country is an agricultural country with 40% of the population being farmers. We are known as the world's food source. Thank you to all sectors that understand and see the suffering of farmers, who have come together to develop the grassroot s economy, and worked proactively to help producers get better prices so that big people can help small people. We ask that farmers produce quality products. From now on, the Ministry of Commerce will accelerate its penetration into foreign markets, targeting India, which has a population of 1.4 billion people, in addition to our acceleration into the Chinese market, which has a population of 1.2 billion people,' said Mr. Phumtham. While the secondary economic agricultural plants that the Ministry of Commerce has taken care of are 18 species, divided into 11 types of fruits: 1. durian, 2. mangosteen, 3. rambutan, 4. longkong, 5. longan, 6. pineapple, 7. lychee, 8. pomelo, 9. sweet orange, 10. ma yong chit, 11. mango, 4 types of vegetables: 1. lime, 2. tomato, 3. pumpkin, 4. chili peppers, and 3 types of three-tuber plants: 1. shallots, 2. onions, 3. garlic, etc. Source: Thai News Agency