Mr. Peerapan Kothong, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), revealed that agricultural logistics is a crucial mechanism connecting farmers' produce to markets, from collection and transportation to processing, distribution, and export. Efficient logistics reduce costs, maintain product quality, increase market opportunities, and enhance the competitiveness of Thai agricultural products. This is especially important during times when the agricultural sector faces challenges from global economic volatility, supply chain disruptions or supply shocks, and the impacts of climate change. The future challenges for agricultural logistics extend beyond simply transporting goods to market; they involve managing risks throughout the supply chain, from farm to processing plant. Rapidly changing economic, geopolitical, and climate conditions may lead to limitations on production factors, increased costs, and impacts on both the quantity and quality of agricultural products, such as starch accumulation in cassava and sugar content in sugarcane. Therefore, developing agricultural logistics requires a holistic approach, not relying on a single supply source or market. To enable farmers, entrepreneurs, and industries to adapt to changing circumstances,

as the current Agricultural Logistics System Development Action Plan (2023-2027) is nearing its end, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), through its Agricultural Policy and Planning Division, is holding forums to gather feedback from stakeholders in the area. This feedback will be used to develop a new Action Plan (2028-2032) that is continuous and aligned with the rapidly changing economic, social, technological, and agricultural context. The OAE is therefore organizing four Focus Group workshops. Three have already been conducted: in Chiang Rai on November 27, 2025; in Chonburi on January 30, 2026; and most recently in Nakhon Ratchasima on June 24, 2026, at the Kantary Hotel Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima. The aim is to listen to the problems, needs, and suggestions from the Northeast region, a strategically important area for agriculture, trade, and transportation, connecting domestic markets, northeastern border provinces, Laos, and China.

The implementation under... The current action plan (2023-2027) focused on strengthening farmers, agricultural institutions, and agricultural logistics operators; developing infrastructure and facilities; and utilizing technology and innovation to drive agricultural logistics. This contributed to increased efficiency in connecting production sources to markets and reducing costs for the agricultural sector. The new action plan (2028-2032) will build upon this foundation, adapting to the new context by emphasizing improved efficiency of agricultural product collection and distribution centers; upgrading warehouses and cold storage facilities to maintain product quality; promoting multimodal transportation; developing human resources and systems to support digital technologies, automation, and smart logistics; and promoting green logistics to reduce environmental impact. The framework for gathering input for the new plan covers five key development areas: 1) Strengthening farmers, agricultural institutions, and operators; 2) Developing and utilizing agricultural logistics infrastructure; 3) Increasing the efficiency of international agricultural transportation and trade; 4) Establishing a national agricultural logistics database to link information between agencies and enable farmers to utilize it effectively; and 5) Promoting technology and innovation to modernize agricultural logistics systems and meet regional needs.

Go To Lead