Palm oil farmers call for help with falling prices and lifting export restrictions. Apisit Vejjajiva pledges to promote comprehensive palm oil legislation. In just one month, palm oil prices have sharply fallen by 3 baht per kilogram.
At 2:00 p.m. on 22 April 2026 at the Parliament, Apisit Vejjajiva, party-list MP and leader of the Democrat Party, received a letter from Manas Phuttharat, chairman of the Federation of Palm Oil Farmers of Thailand, requesting an investigation into the falling palm oil prices and a call for fairness for palm oil farmers.
Manas stated that representatives of palm oil farmers came to seek help in monitoring the price suppression during the economic crisis, aiming to ensure farmers receive fair treatment when selling their produce after years of investment. He requested immediate relaxation of palm oil export measures and urged the promotion of B10 biodiesel as the standard diesel fuel. He also called for reforms toward a quality-linked palm oil pricing structure and the development of biodiesel production from ethanol. He emphasized that the government must shift from a directive role to a welfare state and proposed that the government stop suppressing palm oil prices across the board, instead providing targeted assistance through discount cards or welfare programs aimed directly at vulnerable groups and low-income individuals.
Apisit said that MPs from nearly all parties are concerned about this issue and have discussed current agricultural product management. He acknowledged the government's challenge in balancing consumer interests and preventing shortages amid rising prices. However, he criticized the palm oil export permission requirement, which has led to price suppression. He assured that his party will push for comprehensive palm oil legislation to be proposed to Parliament.
A reporter added that it is notable that within one month, after the Ministry of Commerce imposed export permission requirements on palm oil, prices dropped from 9 baht per kilogram at collection centers and palm oil processing factories to between 5.50 and 6 baht per kilogram. This decline contradicts the increased demand for palm oil among farmers who have switched to using B10 and B20 biodiesel. Meanwhile, the government's stance remains unclear on whether it will promote B10 biodiesel as a widely adopted alternative fuel to replace the expensive diesel affected by the Middle East conflict.