Suriya Outlines Five-Pronged Agricultural Development Plan, Allocating 60% of Budget to Irrigation System Development

Agriculture Minister Suriya Chungrungreung chaired a budget discussion meeting for fiscal year 2570, attended by Permanent Secretary Winayroj Supsungsuk, Deputy Budget Bureau Director Mattana Chareonjsri, and other ministry officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives headquarters. Minister Suriya stated that Thai agriculture faces multifaceted challenges from external factors, including elevated production costs stemming from Middle East conflicts and intensifying climate volatility that directly impact the sector. He stressed that all stakeholders must collaborate to overcome current challenges, and the 2570 budget allocation must be 'precise, targeted, and deliver genuine results for Thai farmers and agriculture.' The ministry will drive five core policies from fiscal year 2569 through 2570 aimed at innovative agriculture for sustainable Thai farming: (1) Elevating production through technology and innovation by transitioning from traditional agriculture to data-driven, digital, and AI-powered innovative farming to boost efficiency and reduce farmer costs; (2) Increasing farmer income through urgent measures including adjusting chemical to biofertilizer ratios to 70:30, promoting soil analysis-based fertilizer use, and supporting value-added agricultural processing; (3) Developing farmer capacity through reskilling and upskilling initiatives, knowledge transfer across generations, and strengthening farmer groups and cooperatives; (4) Driving market-led production through coordinated efforts among agriculture, commerce, and industry ministries to plan production, negotiate new markets, and integrate agricultural products into industrial processing; and (5) Sustainable water resource management, with over 60 percent of the ministry budget dedicated to irrigation infrastructure development and drought and flood disaster preparedness.