Bangkok: The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) held a meeting to oversee the entire animal feed corn system, maintaining purchasing measures and conducting strict inspections for the 2015/2016 season. Ms. Suphajee Suthumpun, Minister of Commerce, highlighted the necessity of comprehensive management measures to maintain price stability and reduce costs for farmers, while preventing undue burdens on livestock farmers and consumers over the long term. Input and suggestions were gathered from farmers, animal feed manufacturers, processing plants, and field crop trade associations.
According to Thai News Agency, the current crop situation report shows a period of abundant production entering the market. To ensure fairness for farmers when selling their produce, the Department of Internal Trade and the Provincial Commerce Office have been inspecting animal feed corn purchases since the start of the season to prevent farmer exploitation. This includes monitoring purchase prices, moisture and impurity deductions, and the accuracy of scales at all purchasing points. Particularly in areas facing disruptions, strict inspections are being conducted, with reports to the Department of Internal Trade and the Provincial Commerce Office enabling immediate inspections by officials.
Mr. Witthayakorn Maneenet, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, confirmed that the purchase price for fresh corn with 30% moisture content remains at 7.05 baht per kilogram, while dried corn with 14.5% moisture content at animal feed factories remains at 9.80 baht per kilogram. Prices are reflective of the production source and distance, aligning with farmers' actual costs.
The meeting also considered exempting six shrimp feed producers from wheat import controls for 2026, totaling 134,356 tons, following verification of actual usage data by the Department of Fisheries. This annual exemption should not destabilize domestic corn and other raw material prices. Additionally, five subcommittees under the NBTC were appointed to enhance flexibility and management across the system, including those focused on stockpiling interest compensation, provincial management, market situation monitoring, animal feed corn strategy development for 2025-2029, and import oversight under the WTO Framework.
Thailand's animal feed corn production for the 2025/26 year is projected to reach approximately 5.36 million tons, an increase of about 8% from the previous year, attributed to favorable weather and farmers switching to more animal feed corn. By November, around 34% of annual production will be available on the market. Concurrently, demand for animal feed in 2025 is anticipated to reach 9.2 million tons, a 2% increase from 2024, fueled by growing demand in the livestock sector.