Bangkok (VNA) – The Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) under Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives forecasts that the country’s agricultural economy will grow at a slightly slower but still robust pace of 2–3% in 2026.
The outlook is supported by improved water availability for landowners and farmers, higher global demand, and accelerated domestic economic growth. However, the sector continues to face challenges, including climate change, geopolitical conflicts and higher tariff barriers.
Peeraphan Korthong, Acting Secretary-General of the OAE, said Thailand’s overall economy is expected to grow by only 1.2–2.2% in 2026, compared with a global average of 3.2%. Meanwhile, agricultural economic growth is projected at 2–3%, slightly down from an estimated 3.3% this year.
He noted that growth will depend on multiple uncertainties, such as the extent and impact of climate change by 2026, geopolitical conflicts, economic downturns, trade barriers and higher US tariffs, all of which could constrain expansion. Nevertheless, domestic consumption is still expected to rise, driven by government economic stimulus policies.
The official suggested that the Thai government should place greater emphasis on economic crops such as rice by increasing investment in low-carbon farming and targeting growing global demand for environmentally friendly products. He added that, as Thailand is unable to compete on price with some regional producers in the rice sector, it needs to shift towards high-quality rice production, which requires more precise farming practices and innovation./.
