Bangkok: The Ministry of Commerce has unveiled its strategy to elevate Thailand as a global leader in the cassava industry. Mr. Chatuporn Buruspat, Minister of Commerce, inaugurated the 7th World Tapioca Conference 2025 under the theme “Thailand Tapioca Next: Go Global Go Together,” aiming to boost cooperation across the Thai tapioca industry. The conference sought to enhance Thailand’s presence in the global market by inviting 16 countries to purchase Thai produce, targeting an export of 7.5 million tons.
According to Thai News Agency, the conference was attended by over 1,000 participants, including representatives from 16 countries such as China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The event facilitated negotiations expected to generate a trade value exceeding 10.9 billion baht, reinforcing Thailand’s cassava industry as a crucial economic pillar, engaging over 740,000 farming households.
Mr. Jatuporn highlighted the challenges facing the industry, including price fluctuations and climate change. The government is committed to addressing these issues through marketing support and improved production processes, alongside promoting the “Thai Made, Thai Use, Thai Help Thai” policy to strengthen local entrepreneurs and the industry at large.
The conference featured the signing of sales contracts and MOUs for over 1.48 million tons of cassava, valued at more than 10.9 billion baht, absorbing up to 3.57 million tons of domestic fresh cassava roots. Plans to explore new markets aim to achieve Thailand’s export goal of 7.5 million tons by 2025.
Mr. Chatuporn also announced the “Sandbox” project to transform 10 million rai of farmland, often plagued by drought or flooding, into productive areas. This initiative will utilize a “Market-Leading, Innovation-Enhanced, Income-Increasing” strategy to boost agricultural productivity and efficiency.
The Ministry of Commerce remains committed to transitioning Thai industry from traditional to high-value agricultural sectors, while fostering stability and global competitiveness. In 2024, Thailand exported 6.47 million tons of cassava, generating over 110.255 billion baht. Despite a 39.44% increase in export volume in the first half of 2025, export value declined due to falling global prices. The Ministry is actively pursuing marketing promotions to achieve this year’s export target and sustain Thailand’s leadership in the global cassava market.
Mr. Jatuporn also mentioned ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, with a proposal under preparation for submission to the USTR. As new tariffs are soon to be announced, the Ministry is collaborating with various sectors to ensure smooth operations and address assistance requests from the private sector and farmers.