“Coconut farmers” urge new government to tackle falling prices

Today (March 19, 2026) at 11:00 a.m. in the Parliament building Mr. Jetchirat Jankimha, a representative of small-scale fragrant coconut farmers, submitted a letter of requests to the new government. Mr. Jetchirat added that over the past 7-8 months, fragrant coconut growers have suffered consistently low coconut prices ranging from 3-4 baht per coconut. This has affected many small-scale farmers for the eighth month in a row. He stated that they had previously filed requests for help to government agencies, but the outcomes had not matched their expectations.

Mr. Jetchirat went on to say that farmers are facing increased land leasing expenses, pesticide and fertilizer prices, as well as declining agricultural yield. He stated that no government agency has conducted a thorough investigation or provided assistance, and that Commerce Minister Supajee Suthamphan's commitment to construct central processing units to distribute coconuts to PTT gas stations has proven to be empty words.

He underlined that farmers are an important element of the economy, but their earnings are comparable to begging.As a result, I would like to inform the new government that coconuts will be the first agricultural commodity to greet the new administration, but the benefits will mostly benefit Chinese capital, which will never be returned to Thai farmers. Small-scale fragrant coconut farmers made the following proposals:

Upgrade to a controlled commodity: We urge the Ministry of Commerce to use its authority under the Price Control and Services Act to set a "guaranteed minimum purchase price" to prevent middlemen from unfairly reducing prices.

2. Crack down on nominee coconut packing houses: We suggest that the DSI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, look into price fixing and misuse of market power by foreign capital groups.

3. Protect the standards of "authentic coconut water": Speed up the revision of the Agricultural Product Standards Act to establish mandatory requirements to avoid adulteration, which harms Thai products' image in the international market.

4. lessen costs and develop new markets: Support initiatives that deliver fertilizers and insecticides at reduced prices, and encourage exports to new markets to lessen reliance on a single existing market.

5. A collaborative group under the Prime Minister's supervision, with at least 30% of members representing "small-scale farmers," to enable effective decision-making in resolving these issues.

Mr. Decharat, The director of the People's Party's Future Policy Center remarked that this is a big issue and that the People's Party intends that the government's responses be "unclear and ineffective."

Three concerns were made to the government including :

1. The government should examine possibilities for absorbing agricultural produce more quickly, such as making a purchase for processing. Despite its diminutive size, the produce is still usable. The government's acquisition of this produce would significantly enhance farmers' prices.

2. The Ministry of Commerce's proposals to construct central processing factories remain unclear. The party wants that the process be clarified, including allowing the public and farmers to participate in solution formulation.

3. To address the issue of counterfeit Thai coconuts, such as the use of artificial coconut water in domestic and international markets, the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Industry, Public Health and Interior must work together to ensure that Thai coconuts remain world-class.

Lastly, a resolution will be submitted to form a special committee that will regulate and resolve concerns surrounding agricultural product prices, notably aromatic coconuts. Following that, an investigation into the government will be launched in order to resolve the situation as soon as feasible.

Photo : Weeraphat Ratsameerueangrong