The Ministry of Commerce is rushing to assist rice farmers affected by the Middle East crisis, which has driven production costs up. It is moving forward with the “2026 Off-Season Rice Absorption Project” targeting 1 million tons of rice at prices 300 baht per ton above market rates. The pilot will begin in five provinces from 1 April, alongside campaigns to cut fertilizer prices and coordinate diesel supply, aiming to sustainably alleviate farmers' burdens.
Mr. Wityakorn Maneenet, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, said after welcoming Mr. Pramot Charoensilp, President of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, who came to discuss ways to support rice farmers at the Department of Internal Trade, that Ms. Supachai Sutamphan, Minister of Commerce, has ordered the department to expedite full measures to help Thai farmers. The Middle East tensions have impacted the global economy and production costs, especially causing fertilizer price volatility that affects farmers' cultivation expenses. Therefore, the department is accelerating market and cost-reduction measures to ease farmers' burdens during the off-season rice harvest.
Regarding management of the upcoming off-season rice harvest, the Ministry of Commerce has launched the 2026 Off-Season Paddy Absorption Project, aiming to absorb 1 million tons of paddy rice from off-season rice production areas nationwide. The Warehouse Organization will have rice mills and agricultural cooperatives open purchase points to buy paddy rice from farmers at prices 300 baht per ton above market rates. This will start on 1 April 2026, piloting in five key off-season rice producing provinces: Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Kamphaeng Phet, and Sukhothai. The project will help absorb the off-season rice supply entering the market and provide incentivesto farmers to sell their produce at fair prices.Farmers are assured that during this off-season rice harvest, there will definitely be buyers for their rice.
Mr. Wityakorn added, “In addition, the Department of Internal Trade has organized additional Paddy Rice Market Days in off-season rice production areas bybringing in buyersfrom outside the region to purchase directly at the farmers’ locations to reduce transportation costs, increase sales channels, and effectively address shortages of buyers in some areas. Purchase prices at these market days are on average 200–400 baht per ton higher than general market prices, running from March through May 2026.”
So far, eight events have been confirmed: two at the end of March in Sing Buri and Ang Thong provinces; three in early April in Phichit, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, and Ang Thong; and three at the end of April in Phitsanulok, Nan, and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
Simultaneously, the department has instructed local weighing and measuring offices, especially at rice purchase points, to closely monitor transactions, verify accurate weighing, moisture measurement, impurity deductions, and price displays to ensure fair, precise, and transparent paddy rice transactions, thereby building confidence among farmers.
Mr. Wityakorn continued, “Regarding reducing production costs, the department is preparing to implement the ‘Green Flag Plus Fertilizer’ project, which supports a discount of 200 baht per sack on chemical fertilizers for up to five sacks, totaling 1,000 baht. Farmers holding the Department of Land Development’s ‘Good Soil Card’ will receive an additional 200 baht, plus a 200 baht coupon for purchasing organic fertilizer. This provides farmers with up to 1,400 baht in assistance each, helping reduce production costs during the upcoming main rice planting season.”
Concerning requests for sufficient diesel allocation during the off-season rice harvest, the Department of Internal Trade will urgently coordinate with relevant agencies, especially the Ministry of Energy,to accelerate oversight and promoteenergy support measures that reduce agricultural machinery costs for farmers amid the crisis.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pramot Charoensilp, President of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Commerce for prioritizing and swiftly assisting farmers. He acknowledged the understanding of the widespread impact on all sectors and the farmers’ concerns about the off-season rice harvest entering the market. After learning from the Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade about the rice absorption project offering market prices plus a 300 baht per ton premium, along with the Paddy Rice Market Days as a key mechanism to increase farmers' sales channels, he considered this good news for farmers and saw the government’s genuine care and concern for them.
Mr. Wityakorn emphasized that although the Middle East situation affects the global economy and many production costs, the Department of Internal Trade is closely monitoring the situation and employing all available measures to mitigate impacts on Thai farmers, especially rice growers. He reaffirmed that the Ministry of Commerce is proactively maintaining agricultural price stability and farmers’ incomes continuously.
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