Bangkok: The government is moving forward with solutions to the entire Thai dairy industry, addressing the issue of a surplus of raw milk.
According to Thai News Agency, the government is implementing comprehensive strategies to reform the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO), strengthen industry capabilities, and expand the school milk program to include grades 9 and 12 to manage the surplus of raw milk.
Captain Patthadarasmi Thongslueykorn, Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that the government is systematically addressing problems in the Thai dairy industry, prioritizing the quality of life of farmers, food security, and investment in the nutrition of children and youth. A key measure that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is pushing forward and preparing to propose to the Cabinet is the expansion of the school milk program to cover students in the third year of secondary school. This will increase access to quality milk for Thai children and help absorb more than 90 tons of surplus raw milk per day from the system.
In addition to expanding the school milk program, the government is also prioritizing the revitalization of the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO) to restore its role as a key mechanism for stabilizing the Thai dairy industry. This includes accelerating improvements to milk stock management, quota management, expanding marketing channels, and developing new dairy products to add value to raw milk and enhance the long-term competitiveness of the Thai dairy industry.
Captain Patradarasmi added that the government is confident that integrated cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and other relevant agencies will help manage the country's raw milk more efficiently, reduce the problem of milk surplus, create stable income for farmers, and enable the school milk program to benefit Thai children to its full potential.