Cabinet to Approve Expansion of School Milk Program to Grade 9 to Address Oversupply Crisis
Thailand's agriculture ministry plans to expand its school milk program through Grade 9 to tackle a dairy oversupply crisis affecting farmers, with Cabinet approval expected within 30 days.
The Deputy Agriculture Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives has announced plans to expand the school milk program after chairing a meeting with dairy cooperative representatives to address milk distribution quotas. Two key issues emerged from dairy farmers: allocation criteria for school milk quotas and the problem of excess milk inventory in the system. The ministry is preparing documentation to submit to the Cabinet for approval to extend the school milk program through Grade 9, aiming to increase milk consumption and ease farmers' hardship within a 30-day timeframe. The minister stated he is setting a 30-day target to resolve the oversupply crisis and is urgently engaging multiple agencies, including state funds, state enterprises, and private companies, to purchase milk for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and disabled persons.
