Kanika Aunjit, Deputy Government Spokesperson, has reported on the administration’s efforts to tackle the chronic problem of illegal agricultural products depressing prices and affecting farmers nationwide.
She noted that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made this issue a priority from the beginning of his term, directing the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to work towards tripling farmers’ incomes within four years.
To combat contraband items, the government has launched a special task force, Phayanakarat, with support from the Royal Thai Army, Navy, and Police, targeting illegal agricultural goods.
The deputy spokesperson also highlighted the impact of the EU’s Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) on Thailand’s rubber industry, which now commands a significant global market share.
The government’s efforts have bolstered confidence in Thai rubber, resulting in increased orders from Europe. This includes the strategic purchasing of rubber through the Thai Rubber Trade (TRT) to improve product traceability on the global market.
The Rubber Authority of Thailand is in the process of updating its rubber farmers’ database to include coordinates and plot images, with 90% of this task complete, covering 2.2 million rai.
The Deputy Government Spokesperson remarked that Thai rubber prices are a benchmark for the global market. As of March 19th, the price for smoked rubber sheets in Thailand was 98 baht per kilogram, compared to 88 baht in Japan and 77 baht in China for the same product, thus significantly increasing local rubber farmers’ earnings. (NNT)
