Thailand must permit regulated imports of agricultural raw materials to supply export-oriented factories, the Thai Chamber of Commerce warned this week as persistent domestic shortages squeeze food processing operations.

Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the chamber, said the shortfall hinders exports despite the country’s advanced infrastructure in cold storage, sterilisation and canning. “To support the Kitchen of the World, we must enable imports for export-oriented production,” said Mr Poj.

The bottleneck affects established exports of fresh chicken, processed poultry and tuna, alongside 1 rapidly growing export sector: pet food manufacturing. In addition to raw material deficits, agricultural water management issues continue to limit local supply, preventing domestic production from keeping pace with processing lines.

Poj proposed setting up regulated import channels specifically for raw agricultural goods destined for re-export after processing, balancing factory demand without depressing domestic farmgate prices.

Industrial processors operate sterilisation autoclaves and continuous-feed canning lines designed for steady volume. When local farms miss delivery quotas because of seasonal water shortages, these industrial plants run below capacity, driving up the fixed cost per unit on finished export goods.

Food security has shifted into a top global priority as trade routes face recurring disruption from armed conflicts. Sourcing inputs from outside Thailand allows packaging plants to fulfill overseas retail contracts while domestic agricultural reform remains slow.

Visit Limlurcha, vice-chairman of the chamber, said post-pandemic consumption patterns require local processors to shift development toward health, innovation, and environmental criteria.

Functional ingredients represent the fastest-moving segment of this shift, prompting negotiations between industry groups and the Thai Food and Drug Administration to approve specific ingredient health claims on packaged retail labels.

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