Bangkok: Thammanat prepares measures to help farmers, presenting them to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), confident they will be ready in time for the harvest season. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thammanat revealed plans to introduce credit measures, delay rice sales, and interest compensation. The measures are awaiting submission to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) after the Prime Minister returns from the ASEAN summit. He is confident they will be implemented before November or December.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Lt. Col. Thammanat Prompao revealed progress in aiding rice farmers, stating that the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared several assistance measures to alleviate the burden and stabilize rice prices during the 2025/26 production season. These include a loan program for delaying rice sales, a loan program for rice collection and value-added creation by farmer institutions, and a program to compensate rice traders for interest on their stockpiling.
All measures will be presented to the National Rice Policy and Administration Committee (NRAC) meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, for consideration. However, as the Prime Minister is currently attending the 28th ASEAN+3 Summit in Malaysia and will then travel to South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, and as no Deputy Prime Minister has been appointed to serve on the committee, the NRAC meeting has been postponed.
Lt. Col. Thammanat stated that he personally wants to expedite the consideration of these measures as soon as possible so that the NBTC's resolution can be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration. He is confident that they will be implemented in time for the rice harvest season, which runs from November to December.
As an urgent measure that can be implemented immediately, the Department of Cooperative Promotion has been assigned to implement the "Rice Collection and Value-Added Loan Project by Farmer Institutions," in collaboration with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). This project aims to stabilize paddy prices and enhance liquidity for agricultural cooperatives to continue collecting, processing, and selling rice.