Initial negotiations were satisfactory as the Dairy Authority agreed to buy raw milk at the MOU price to solve the problem of dairy farmers in the central region cooperatives dumping milk.
On 7 Jan 2026 GMT+7, following the incident where 15 central region cooperatives dumped raw milk in Lopburi province, representatives from these cooperatives—five from each of the 15 groups—met this afternoon at the Dairy Promotion Organization meeting room in Muak Lek district, Saraburi province. They explained the issues to seek solutions and reduce losses, concerning over 360 tons of raw milk stuck in 24 transport trucks from these cooperatives that the Dairy Authority normally collects daily.
The accumulation of raw milk in trucks began during the New Year holiday. Besides the milk stuck on trucks, about 440 tons remained in storage tanks at the Dairy Authority's warehouse, totaling over 800 tons. This disrupted the flow of raw milk from dairy farmers, causing transport trucks to be parked without being able to deliver milk for processing.
Mr. Teerachai Kiangkraivekin, chairman of the Thai-Denmark Milk Association in Muak Lek, said the cooperatives faced hardship because the Dairy Authority's management of raw milk deliveries had stalled. This backlog affected transportation and caused large daily accumulations of raw milk, disrupting cooperative members' farms. The Dairy Authority can only accept 145 tons daily as per the MOU, but farmers produce about 215 tons daily, exceeding the quota. The Authority bears this burden daily, causing milk to pile up, compounded by a factory processing limit of 160 tons per day.
Ms. Watcharee Wannasri, director of the Dairy Promotion Organization of Thailand in Muak Lek, said the Dairy Authority has taken initial steps to resolve the issue. They acknowledged that the extended New Year holidays caused large raw milk stockpiles waiting outside the processing plant. Today, they signed an agreement with cooperative representatives to address the problem. The Authority has begun accepting raw milk from 17 trucks from 9 cooperatives, processing it swiftly at the agreed MOU price of 21.75 baht per kilogram. This price was agreed upon by dairy cooperatives in November to address falling milk prices.
Mr. Teerachai, a cooperative representative, told reporters he was somewhat satisfied with the progress. The Dairy Authority will continue to expedite checking and processing the remaining raw milk backlog. If any milk is found to be of poor quality, the Authority will convert it into soil fertilizer for agricultural use by farmers.