The agricultural product processing projects increased the value of Thai agricultural products and farmers' income.
Produces safe vegetables according to organic agricultural standards, generating income for the community

      Mrs. Thanyathitha Boonyamaneekul, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics ,OAE, MOAC, revealed the monitoring of the agricultural product processing promotion project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, which aims to increase the value of processed agricultural products. In fiscal year 2024, the RD, CPD, CAD, DOAE, and DOF are the main responsible agencies. The target is for the value of processed agricultural products of cooperatives, community enterprises, and farmer groups to expand by no less than 4 percent in the 77 operating areas nationwide.
      The monitoring results for fiscal year 2024 found that all farmer institutions have applied the knowledge and production factors they have received, resulting in farmer institutions having a high level of capability in processed agricultural products. The sales value of processed agricultural products increased by an average of 67.24 percent. Processed products include germinated nougat rice. (Taiwanese candy), dried mangosteen with plum flavor, crab meat rolls, pla chingchang, pla tapien, fried catfish cakes, original flavor cricket crackers,, Chanthaburi seaweed noodles, and hemp clothing. In fiscal year 2025, the RD, CPD, DOA, and the DOF are the main responsible agencies. The target is to increase the value of processed agricultural products by no less than 4 percent and increase farmers' income from the sale of processed agricultural products by no less than 20 percent in the 57 operating provinces, such as Ang Thong, Sakon Nakhon, Kalasin, Krabi, Phetchaburi, and Nonthaburi.
      For important operational plans, the RD has a plan to develop 2 new processed products, expand the packaging of 2 processed products, create a prototype rice bran oil extraction machine for 1 product, and develop a prototype factory for the production of fermented rice vermicelli, dried fermented rice vermicelli with added probiotics, and expand the production of 2 community distilled liquor products. There is also a plan to provide advice on GMP standards to 4 rice mills, the CAD. There is a plan to establish a database of the production and marketing of processed products of 177 cooperatives and farmer groups, and to support financial support for the procurement of equipment/construction to increase the potential of the processed product business for 16 cooperatives and farmer groups, including a plan to organize a workshop to build a network of trade partners for 80 cooperative members and farmer groups, and a workshop to develop knowledge on processing for 2,655 cooperative members and farmer groups. The Department of Agriculture has a plan to transfer knowledge on commercial processing to 110 farmers, and the DOF has a plan to develop processed products and packaging to increase value, variety, and safety for 30 products, and to assess processed products to certify 100 Green Flag Fisheries standards, as well as to develop the potential of 200 processed product entrepreneurs to enter the production system to create added value and create a career in processed products for 30 people. In this regard, the ONESQA has monitored the results of operations in the first quarter (October 1 - December 31, 2024), and found that most are still in the initial stages of operation, such as the RD, which has provided advice on GMP standards to 3 rice mills in Udon Thani, Nong Bua Lamphu, and Saraburi provinces, and the Department of Cooperative Promotion. The database of the production and marketing of processed products of 31 cooperatives and farmer groups has been created. DOA is currently surveying and selecting cooperatives and farmer groups that are ready to receive the transfer of processed product production technology. The DOF has developed processed products and packaging to increase value, variety, and safety for 2 products. Processed products have been evaluated to certify with the Green Flag Fisheries standard for 11 products. The potential of processed product entrepreneurs has been developed to enter the production system to create added value for 75 people. In this regard, OAE will continuously monitor the progress of the promotion of agricultural product processing by the MOAC in all activities to drive such promotion to achieve its goals.