The Commerce Committee submitted four proposals to the Commerce Minister to resolve the crisis caused by extending the import period for animal feed corn, urging control of minimum prices and support for farmers.
At 13:00 on 29 June 2026, Mr. Samrit Thanthap, Member of Parliament for Chaiyaphum from the Bhumjaithai Party and Chair of the Commerce and Intellectual Property Committee, along with Ms. Patida Tantirattananon, MP for Surin from the Bhumjaithai Party and First Vice Chair of the Committee, and Ms. Supanan Panyathip, spokesperson for the Committee, held a press conference regarding the extension of the import period for animal feed corn from abroad, moving the deadline from 1 February – 30 June 2026 to 1 February – 30 August 2026. Representatives from the Department of Internal Trade and the Department of Foreign Trade were invited to join the meeting and provide information.
They noted that the Policy and Management Committee on Animal Feed Corn (PMCAFC) resolved to extend the import period of animal feed corn raw materials from neighboring countries to prevent shortages in the animal feed industry and maintain stability in the livestock sector overall. This extension changes the import deadline from June 2026 to 31 August 2026. As a result, farmers and animal feed industry operators have delayed domestic purchases. The Committee therefore convened with relevant agencies to urgently seek mitigation measures and developed concrete policy recommendations. It was decided to submit these proposals to the Minister of Commerce to effectively address the problems and maintain price stability for corn as follows.
1. Enhance policy awareness by accelerating public relations and clarifying to animal feed industry operators and farmers the reasons and necessity for extending the import period, since domestic production entering the market has declined, combined with stricter open-burning regulations that complicate and lengthen import procedures, causing reduced imports in early 2026.
2. Implement a temporary minimum selling price and regulatory measures by setting the minimum selling price temporarily based on the average cost over the past three months to protect farmers during the transition to a new pricing structure. Operators must report actual purchase volumes and prices. Officials will be dispatched to enforce and penalize operators who unjustifiably refuse or delay purchasing, as such behavior causes transport bottlenecks and severely impacts farmers' liquidity.
3. Expedite issuing a new purchase price policy by directing the Ministry of Commerce to issue a new domestic purchase price announcement for animal feed corn ahead of the current policy's expiration in July to prevent any policy gaps as the new production season's output gradually enters the market.
4. Restructure long-term cultivation by coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to proactively incentivize and support farmers to switch from second-crop rice cultivation to animal feed corn production, thereby ensuring raw material security and sustainably reducing import dependence.
The extension of the import period for corn from neighboring countries or under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement from 30 June to 31 August 2026 follows the longstanding framework practiced for decades. However, there is a forecast for earlier market availability of production. Various sectors, including during tenure in the Agriculture and Cooperatives Committee, proposed the government reduce the import period from 31 August to 30 June 2026 due to earlier harvesting in Thailand. Yet, this year, domestic animal feed corn planting is very low due to changing climate conditions. Therefore, the two-month extension remains within the usual framework and will not affect domestic corn cultivation. The Committee will continuously monitor any signals of earlier harvests and advise the government to adjust policies to maximize benefits for farmers.
Ms. Patida Tantirattananon said that upon learning of the Cabinet's resolution to change the animal feed corn import period, there was concern about how clearly this information was communicated to farmers and whether the supporting measures would affect corn growers. She consulted with the Committee Chair to urgently consider the matter and invited relevant agencies to provide information on measures supporting Thai animal feed corn farmers and the extent of impact on operators. She added that the Committee Chair's earlier explanations should clarify the situation and reassure farmers that corn prices will not drop or be adversely affected by the import extension measures.
Ms. Supanan Panyathip added that in Chiang Mai Province, where many animal feed corn farmers reside, she received numerous complaints and inquiries about the potential impacts of the measure, causing confusion among farmers. She urged relevant agencies to consider the Committee's proposals and implement measures that build farmers' confidence and enhance the government's credibility.