On October 9, 2026, Mrs. Thunphitcha Theraratchanon, Director of the 2nd Regional Office of Agricultural Economics (Director of ROAE2), assigned Mr. Thanakorn Kaeojaroon, Professional Level Economist, and Mr. Latthaphon Kalyanamitr, Practitioner Level Economist, to attend the panel discussion on “Reforming the Thai Agri-Food System: Empowering Farmers to Build Resilience Through Innovation.” The seminar was held at the 24th Floor Meeting Room, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) Head Office, Bangkok, and attended online via Facebook Live hosted by the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).
The forum addressed critical challenges confronting the Thai agricultural sector from comprehensive perspectives, encompassing market and economic volatility, technological disruptions, production costs, risks from external factors, and structural constraints impacting farmers’ incomes and competitiveness. The discussion aimed to identify strategic pathways enabling farmers to “adapt faster, mitigate risks more effectively, and access wider alternatives” within a continuously evolving context.
A pivotal theme of the discussion moved beyond merely boosting agricultural productivity to focusing on cultivating economic resilience for farmers through the adoption of innovation, data, technology, and modern analytical tools. These resources empower sound decision-making, production planning, cost management, market linkages, and responsive measures against uncertainties across the entire agri-food supply chain.
Another notable dimension was viewing “reform” at a systemic level rather than applying piecemeal, isolated fixes. This systemic approach connects farmers’ foundational production bases, access to information and capital, market development, and agile policy design capable of responding to change in a timely manner. It demonstrates that strengthening the agricultural sector in the upcoming era requires precise data, practical innovations, and seamless integration among the public, academic, financial, and private business sectors.
Participation in this forum provided an opportunity to keep pace with overarching trends and transformational directions in Thailand’s agri-food system, allowing ROAE2 to incorporate key takeaways into agro-economic situational analyses and policy formulation to proactively address the challenges farmers will face in the future.
Photo/News: Public Relations Working Group, ROAE2 Phitsanulok
