Bangkok: Thammanat expressed concern over the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which is beginning to impact energy prices and agricultural inputs, potentially exacerbating farmers' costs during the harvest and new planting season. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Captain Thamanat Phromphao, stated that rice farmers are already facing several challenges, particularly the persistently low price of rice while production costs are rising. The conflict in the Middle East is driving up oil and fertilizer prices, directly impacting the agricultural sector in all stages, from production and mechanization to harvesting. Furthermore, the large volume of rice entering the market while marketing channels are limited presents a challenge. Therefore, this is a crucial issue that the new government must prioritize, especially addressing the needs of production factors during the dry-season rice harvest and into the start of the new planting season.
According to Thai News Agency, during the transition period until the new government is formed, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will prioritize addressing immediate problems to stabilize the situation, as key policies, especially those concerning farmers' production costs, must await the new Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives to determine the management approach. A portion of the government's central budget has already been allocated to other missions, leaving limited funds. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is responsible for considering appropriate measures to manage fuel prices. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has assigned its Permanent Secretary to monitor the situation and address immediate problems to help stabilize the situation during the second rice harvest season, as high fuel prices would directly impact farmers.
Captain Thamanat further stated that during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, he promoted the development of quality rice seeds through the Department of Rice, having prepared plans and projects in advance. However, in practice, it was found that a number of farmers wanted short-duration rice varieties that yielded quickly and had high yields per acre, so they turned to buying seeds from neighboring countries. In many cases, these seeds did not meet standards and the varieties did not match market demand, affecting the quality of the yield in the long run. Therefore, he believes that this is an issue that the new government should continue to address, both in developing quality rice seeds and producing enough seeds to meet the needs of farmers.
Captain Thamanat said that having served in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for over 7 years, he has developed a strong connection with farmers nationwide. Even while serving in the legislature, he has presented proposals to the government in the House of Representatives or through MPs in various committees. He is confident that he can coordinate with the government without problems to continuously care for and resolve the issues facing Thai farmers.