Bangkok: The Thai-Denmark Dairy Cooperative Federation has announced the postponement of its planned April 21st rally, pending a government response regarding the expedited repayment of milk debt. This decision follows discussions with Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Wacharapol Khaokham, who committed to fast-tracking the approval of a 600 million baht loan from the Farmers' Relief Fund by April 28th to alleviate hardships faced by farmers. The cooperative has warned of blocking Mittraphap Road on April 28th if a clear response is not received.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Minister Wacharapol personally engaged with representatives of the Thai-Denmark Dairy Cooperative Limited, dedicating over two hours to hear their issues and suggestions. The cooperative federation has put forward several demands to the government, including timely payment for raw milk, a unified purchase price, fair allocation of school milk quotas, and assistance with interest payments on cooperative loans.
Mr. Saman Lengwan, Chairman of the Thai-Denmark Dairy Cooperative, Pak Chong Branch, stated that the board meeting resulted in three resolutions: postponing the April 21st rally, seeking a response by April 24th, and escalating actions, including blocking traffic on Mittraphap Road, if no clarity is provided by April 28th. The cooperatives have endured delayed raw milk payments for over seven months, impacting farmers' liquidity and livelihoods, necessitating a definitive timeframe for resolution.
Deputy Minister Wacharaphol assured that efforts would be made to expedite the loan approval process and maintain communication with the cooperatives. Additionally, plans are underway to boost domestic milk consumption by expanding the school milk program to include lower secondary schools, thereby increasing the use of domestic raw milk and stabilizing the dairy industry.
The need for restructuring the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DFPO) was also highlighted, particularly in marketing. With challenges in selling the entire milk output, expanding markets, developing products, and increasing distribution channels are deemed crucial for sustaining milk purchases from farmers. Long-term plans include transforming DFPO into a state enterprise to provide sustainable support to dairy farmers.