Suriya revealed the results of the meeting of the Committee on Agricultural Policy and Development, giving the green light to open agricultural markets according to WTO commitments, acknowledging continuous growth in the 2026 crop output. He emphasized that every resolution prioritizes the benefits of Thai farmers.
4 Sep 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, stated that at the first meeting of 2026 of the Committee on Agricultural Policy and Development, all agencies and related parties were urged to thoroughly and reasonably review and provide opinions on all issues, always considering the best interests of the farming community.
Regarding the 2026 agricultural economic outlook, data from the Office of Agricultural Economics shows increasing agricultural output. The agricultural product output index for 2026 is projected at 153.91, a 1.1% increase compared to last year. Specifically, crop products are expected to rise by 1%, and livestock by 1.7%. The agricultural economy is forecast to grow between 0.5% and 1.5%, supported by factors such as water management, disaster preparedness, plant and animal disease control and surveillance, as well as promotion of technology and innovation to upgrade agricultural products.
Therefore, the committee approved opening agricultural product markets under WTO commitments for 2026-2028, including onion seeds, dried and fresh onions, seed potatoes, fresh potatoes for processing, and garlic for 2027-2028. The secretariat was assigned to prepare submissions for Cabinet approval and the Ministry of Commerce was delegated to proceed with related actions.
Regarding opening markets for coffee seeds and coffee products under WTO commitments, the meeting approved the basic conditions for import management and assigned relevant agencies to review strategies to promote and enhance domestic production capacity concurrently.
Mr. Suriya added that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives continues to monitor and watch for climate change impacts and global economic fluctuations that may affect agricultural production, aiming to minimize adverse effects on farmers as much as possible.
