The Ministry of Agriculture moves forward with allocation efforts of "school milk" additionally, aiming to distribute rights to cover students nationwide
On 8 June 2026, Mr. Winarot Sapsongsuk, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, chaired the 10th/2026 meeting of the Committee on Food and Milk for Children and Youth. Also attending were Mr. Aphai Sutthisang, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Mr. Niran Moolthida, Director-General of the Cooperative Promotion Department; Mr. Manat Thepruk, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development; and related agencies at meeting room 135 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
The meeting approved the allocation of raw milk rights under the 2026 school milk supplement project, adding remaining out-of-area quotas to ensure comprehensive milk distribution to students nationwide. The criteria prioritize dairy cooperatives and educational institutions before the private sector, considering transport capacity and assistance in managing farmers' excess raw milk.
Currently, most rights have already been allocated, benefiting millions of students, with dairy cooperatives receiving the largest share, followed by the private sector, the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO), and educational institutions in that order.
Additionally, the committee issued a new announcement to revise regulations and review operational guidelines, including key measures to remove legal constraints to increase liquidity and ease financial burdens on operators by allowing contract guarantees to be posted per semester instead of for the entire academic year. The announcement also opens up more diverse forms of guarantees.
Furthermore, contract signing deadlines have been made more flexible, and penalties for delays related to government procedures or reviews have been waived to reduce risks and ensure fairness among the government, cooperatives, and private participants. The committee also agreed to temporarily allow the DPO to deliver boxed milk from factories to other regions for the additional quota portion to promptly resolve issues and expedite milk delivery to students.
Regarding areas with ongoing disputes or complaints under investigation, the meeting assigned the DPO to continue delivering replacement milk in those areas until the appeal process is complete and a clear decision is reached. This ensures that all students receive school milk consistently.