The Ministry of Commerce, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has instructed governors of four key coconut-growing provinces to expedite inspections into adulteration problems in coconut water. The goal is to cut off substandard product circulation, solve the issue of declining farmgate prices, and restore consumer confidence.
Mr. Poonpong Naipakorn, Director-General of the Department of Business Development. He revealed after leading the Commerce team to Sampran District, Nakhon Pathom Province, to monitor the situation and address coconut water adulteration that the Ministry of Commerce has sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior. The letter requests governors in four major producing provinces—Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, and Ratchaburi—to urgently inspect the amount of coconut raw materials used compared to the actual volume of coconut water produced. This is to check for consistency and promptly cut off any irregular production processes.
This visit was assigned by the Prime Minister to urgently resolve and prevent coconut water adulteration issues, following recommendations from the Senate’s Commerce and Industry Committee. Complaints have been received from both farmers and entrepreneurs about certain coconut water products being sold in large quantities at abnormally low prices compared to real raw material costs. This has been a major factor putting downward pressure on fresh coconut prices in the market.
Additionally, the department visited the production process of General Beverage Company Limited, a major producer with a capacity exceeding 1 million bottles per day. The company’s management reflected on the crisis of low farmgate coconut prices due to oversupply during the rainy season and international conflict factors. They proposed that the government promote a comprehensive coconut industry covering the entire value chain from upstream to downstream.
“The Ministry of Commerce is ready to implement the private sector’s proposals by establishing a dedicated team to handle this issue. We have instructed provincial commerce offices to closely monitor the situation and collaborate with all sectors to raise product standards and ensure transparency throughout the supply chain—from raw material sourcing and processing to sales with full traceability. This will help restore confidence among consumers both domestically and abroad,” he said.
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