The Ministry of Agriculture is urgently addressing the allocation issues of school milk rights for 2026, mandating that appeals be resolved within 20 days. It has also involved the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization (DPO) to provide temporary milk supplies to prevent shortages among children, emphasizing transparency and fairness.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is fast-tracking the review of appeals concerning the School Supplementary Food (Milk) program for the 2026 academic year, aiming to promptly resolve disputes among contractors. It has implemented measures for the DPO to temporarily supply milk, ensuring students receive milk continuously from the start of the school term.
Mr. Winarot Sapsongsuk, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, stated that following his chairing of the 9th/2026 meeting of the Food and Milk Committee for Children and Youth at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to monitor progress of milk rights allocations and sales areas, the committee urgently reviewed disputes and appeals from contractors participating in the program, including cases where some contractors submitted incomplete documentation for consideration.
He instructed the committee to carefully review appeals with transparency and fairness to all parties, setting a deadline of 15-20 days to complete pending appeals. This allows rightful contractors to sign contracts and proceed with school milk deliveries immediately, starting with areas 1 and 2, followed by allocation of remaining rights to additional applicants in order.
To address the urgent issue of over 61.892 tons per day of remaining milk rights, the meeting resolved to assign the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO) to temporarily supply milk in areas still awaiting allocation for a 20-day period. This measure aims to prevent shortages and ensure students have continuous access to milk.
For UHT (ultra-high temperature) school milk purchases during the first 30 days of the term, procurement will proceed voluntarily based on agreements between purchasing agencies and contractors to maintain flexibility suited to each area's context.
The School Supplementary Food (Milk) program is an important ongoing policy designed to promote the nutrition and development of Thai youth while supporting domestic dairy farmers. However, the allocation process often faces challenges related to competition and eligibility criteria for contractors. Accelerating the appeals process this year marks a crucial step toward organizing and establishing more transparent standards.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives emphasized that all related agencies must expedite every step to ensure the School Supplementary Food (Milk) program is managed efficiently, guaranteeing quality milk reaches students nationwide as intended by the program's objectives.
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