Bangkok: Roi Et: Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Piyarat, opened the 2026 Northeastern Agricultural Cooperative Club meeting, highlighting the cooperative system as the key to driving agricultural development in the northeastern region.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Piyarat Tiyapairat, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, presided over the opening of the 2026 Northeastern Agricultural Cooperative Club Conference in Roi Et Province. This conference is a crucial platform for determining the direction of development and strengthening agricultural cooperatives in the northeastern region.
The event was attended by Mr. Rat Klangsaeng, Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Mr. Jadet Chantra, Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Mr. Nirun Multhida, Director-General of the Department of Cooperative Promotion; Mr. Samrai Nilking, President of the Northeastern Agricultural Cooperatives Association; along with committee members, management staff, auditors, and representatives from agricultural cooperatives from 20 provinces, totaling over 600 people.
Ms. Piyarat gave policy and guidelines for improving the quality and increasing the value of cooperative products. She also represented the Northeastern Agricultural Cooperative Club in awarding scholarships to five educational institutions in the area: Ban Khang Hung School, Nong Tok Paen Nong Man Witthaya School, Kham Nang Tum-Non Sawan School, Roi Et School for the Deaf, and Wat Ming Muang School.
They also visited exhibitions and booths selling quality agricultural products from agricultural cooperatives in the Northeast, such as Thung Samrit rice, a genuine jasmine rice registered as a GI (Geographical Indication) product of Nakhon Ratchasima province, from the Phimai Agricultural Cooperative Limited, as well as processed fresh milk products such as ice cream and Taiwanese nougat from the Khok Ko Dairy Farmers Cooperative Limited in Maha Sarakham province, along with various other processed agricultural products from many other cooperatives.
Ms. Piyarat revealed that, based on several field visits, there is still a need for marketing equipment. While many products have attractive packaging and can enter modern trade markets, some lack quality certification.
Furthermore, the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC) that the Department of Cooperative Promotion is about to establish will be another important channel for exchanging and distributing goods between regions, allowing people in each region to have access to each other's signature products.
We confirm that we will work with cooperatives nationwide and expedite the resolution of the interest burden problem for cooperatives. We will hold discussions with the Department of Cooperative Promotion, the Department of Cooperative Auditing, and other relevant agencies to find urgent solutions.
The statement also emphasized the future vision for Thai agricultural cooperatives, which must be strong, utilize technology for development, and foster cooperation rather than competition, so that Thai cooperatives become well-known both domestically and internationally.