Bangkok:The government is advancing plans to upgrade Cooperative Distribution Centers (CDCs) into regional hubs, allocating over 500 million baht from the Cooperative Development Fund. This funding will support the enhancement of facilities and acquisition of refrigerated trucks, with the aim of boosting sales to 5,000 million baht this year.
According to Thai News Agency, the initiative, led by the Department of Cooperative Promotion under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, involves establishing 1-2 centers in each region. These centers will serve as central hubs for the collection and distribution of cooperative products, facilitating quicker delivery to markets and consumers, especially for seasonal fruits, while minimizing transportation damage.
For the fiscal year 2027, the Cooperative Development Fund will provide financial support at interest rates of 1-3% to cooperatives with potential. This will be used to develop CDCs by constructing buildings, warehouses for sorting goods, and procuring trucks, refrigerated trucks, and forklifts to maintain product quality throughout the supply chain.
The Department of Cooperative Promotion is also preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Thai Land Transport Association to enable the transport of cooperative products at preferential rates. This collaboration aims to improve the efficiency of product distribution, particularly during peak production periods. Concurrently, discussions with the Ministry of Commerce are underway to select premium cooperative products for international market expansion.
Additionally, the department plans to organize quarterly networking forums for cooperatives to exchange product information, assess market demand, and facilitate business matching. These forums are expected to enhance market opportunities and broaden the buyer network.
Currently, there are 125 CDC centers across various provinces, with a cumulative trading value exceeding 3,130 million baht as of September 2026. The top three products with the highest trading value are rice, fruit, and processed goods. The Department of Cooperative Promotion aims to increase the trade value through CDCs to 5 billion baht by December 2026 and to 8-10 billion baht the following year, creating a mechanism that better connects farmers, cooperatives, buyers, and consumers.