Producers demand immediate import restrictions on skimmed milk powder, an expanded school milk program, and transparent consumer labeling.
A major crisis is unfolding in Thailand’s agricultural sector as dairy farmers have formally marched to Government House in Bangkok to demand urgent state intervention over an escalating raw milk glut. Led by national farming representatives, the protestors presented a formal petition to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The demonstration was triggered by a severe market imbalance, where domestic dairy cooperatives are left with over 180 tonnes of raw milk unsold daily, causing substantial financial distress and pushing localized family farms toward systemic collapse.
At the core of the farmers’ grievances is the unhindered import of cheap, foreign skimmed milk powder (SMP), which domestic food and beverage manufacturers are utilizing as a low-cost substitute for fresh Thai cow’s milk. Imported milk powder is currently priced at nearly half the cost of locally produced raw milk, prompting commercial processors to heavily favor international suppliers. To restore domestic market share, the dairy representatives have demanded that the government immediately freeze or delay all upcoming skimmed milk powder import approvals and fast-track the completion of the 2026/2027 raw milk purchase Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by August, securing a unified, fair nationwide purchase price.
To quickly absorb the daily milk surplus, the farmers’ coalition is urging the government to immediately expand and restructure the national school milk program. Under the current system, the program operates for only 260 days out of the year, a schedule that leaves cooperatives with zero commercial outlets during school vacation periods. Producers are demanding that the state fund an expansion of the program to cover a full 365-day calendar. This adjustment is projected to not only stabilize farmgate revenues and clear massive stockpiles of processed UHT carton milk, but also significantly enhance childhood nutrition standards across Thai schools.
Furthermore, the petition highlights the need for transparent consumer education, calling on the Ministry of Commerce and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce strict, mandatory labeling reforms on all retail dairy products. Under the proposed guidelines, manufacturers would be legally required to clearly distinguish between products formulated with 100% fresh, locally sourced raw milk and those reconstituted from imported milk powder. Advocates argue that clearer packaging will empower consumers to make informed choices that directly support Thai rural communities while preventing corporate brands from misrepresenting foreign commodities as fresh local produce.
The government-level demonstration follows months of intensifying regional protests, including threats by dairy cooperatives to block major national transport arteries over hundreds of millions of baht in outstanding milk payments. As Thailand’s domestic birth rate continues to decline, the natural contraction of the student population is permanently shrinking the traditional school milk safety net. The current raw milk glut has presented Thai policymakers with a clear structural crossroad: either execute immediate protectionist trade interventions and supply chain modernizations, or risk the permanent dissolution of the country’s domestic smallholder dairy network.
Source: Nation Thailand
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