Thammanat opened the 20th anniversary event of the Rice Department, urging civil servants to keep farmers foremost in mind and to push forward the development of Thailand's rice system, emphasizing the need for serious work to elevate farmers' quality of life and wellbeing.
At 10:00 a.m. on 16 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Major Thammanat Prompao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, presided over the 20th anniversary celebration of the Rice Department and visited the exhibition under the theme "New Generation Rice, Earth-Loving Heart". He also presided over the ceremony honoring outstanding civil servants "Rice Pride Exemplars." Outstanding rice seed centers and rice research centers for 2025 were recognized at the Rice Department, Lat Yao Subdistrict, Chatuchak District, Bangkok.
The event was attended by Narues Thamrongthipyakun, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Winarot Sapsongsuk, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; executives from affiliated agencies; Anon Nontree, Director-General of the Rice Department; along with Rice Department executives and staff who warmly welcomed the guests.
Major Thammanat stated that the Rice Department is a key agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives with a central role in driving the country’s rice sector across all dimensions—from production, rice variety development, research and innovation, to processing and marketing both domestically and internationally—to ensure national food security and improve the livelihoods of farmers, especially rice farmers, by increasing their incomes and wellbeing.
The Rice Department continuously studies and analyzes problems occurring in the rice production sector, developing strategies for prevention and resolution to manage the country’s rice industry comprehensively and effectively respond to market demands both domestically and globally.
On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives toured the exhibition held under the concept "New Generation Rice, Earth-Loving Heart." The exhibition presented new-era rice production ideas emphasizing cost reduction, application of modern technology and innovation, value addition, and the production of low-carbon and premium rice. It included key topics such as reducing rice cultivation costs through modern technology and innovation, enhancing the capacity of community rice centers under the project supporting agricultural cost reduction for rice farmers, and developing carbon labels for rice products by central region farmers—the first group able to obtain carbon labels for their rice products.
Additionally, innovations were showcased, "Smart Rice Fields," which enhance precision in field management, reduce production costs, and sustainably increase profits, along with the concept "Field to the Future," innovations that reduce environmental impact in rice production, and the development of a "Digital Rice" system to elevate the standards of Thai rice for sustainable global market competitiveness.
Following the exhibition, Major Thammanat presided over the award ceremony recognizing outstanding personnel of the Rice Department for 2025, including nine exemplary civil servants "Rice Pride Exemplars," four outstanding government employees, and four distinguished contract workers. Scholarships were also awarded to 89 children of Rice Department staff, alongside recognition of exemplary ethical organizations and personnel who performed duties with integrity and morality.
Major Thammanat added that he was honored and pleased to chair this important ceremony of the Rice Department and urged all officials and staff to always recognize that the problems faced by farmers, especially rice farmers, are significant national issues that require serious attention.
He said, "I want to remind all civil servants to always remember that the issues of our farmers, especially rice farmers, are important and a national agenda. Even during this government transition period, I ask everyone to work earnestly to help improve the quality of life for Thai farmers." Major Thammanat said.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives also noted that recently the Ministry has been able to drive policies and measures that raised rice prices at times. However, several factors still require ongoing improvement and development, especially securing markets to absorb farmers’ output. Although market development may not be the Ministry’s direct responsibility, it should be pursued alongside other efforts to maximize benefits for farmers and ensure Thailand’s rice system grows steadily and sustainably in the long term.
