The Ministry of Commerce is working out quick assistance for shrimp farmers including requests for big chain stores to buy 1,600 tons of shrimps next month.
Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, said the COVID-19 outbreak that was spreading from the Central Shrimp Market in Samut Sakhon to many provinces is affecting the sales of shrimps and seafood.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister/Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit last week assigned the Department of Internal Trade to work with other governmental organizations including the Department of Fisheries as well as relevant private organizations to help shrimp farmers.
Provincial commerce and fisheries officials are surveying the farmers who cannot sell their shrimps and the Department of Internal Trade asked the operators of Makro, Big C, Tesco Lotus, The Mall, Food Land and Villa Market stores to buy the products.
The operators of the chain stores agreed to buy a combined amount of 1,600 tons of shrimps in January and the operators of 24 local stores in 17 provinces would let farmers sell shrimps in their compounds directly to consumers free of charge, Mr Wattanasak said.
He warned that any middlemen who tried to buy shrimps from farmers at unusually low prices would be considered as violating the Price of Goods and Services Act and be liable to a jail term of up to seven years and/or a fine of up to 140,000 baht.
Mr Wattanasak said that standards for the production of Thai shrimps had been in place for a long time and people could rest assured that they were safe for consumption. (TNA)
