The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives announced that the country has seen a significant increase in the export of agricultural products, particularly those with Thai phytosanitary certificates, due to the improving global economy following the COVID-19 situation.
According to a report from the Department of Agriculture, in 2022, exports of agricultural products reached 23.7 million tons, worth over 536 billion baht. The Director-General of the Department of Agriculture attributed this success to the implementation of the electronic phytosanitary certificate system (ePhyto), which allows exporters to easily apply for phytosanitary certificates in all countries around the world.
Since July 1, 2022, the ePhyto certificate has been recognized as a facilitator for transactions related to obtaining licenses and certificates for import, export, transit, and logistics. This has made it easier for exporters to ship their products and has resulted in an enormous income for the country, surpassing 5.36 billion baht.
Additionally, the country experienced more rainfall in 2022 than the previous year, which provided sufficient water for crop cultivation. This allowed farmers to expand their cultivated areas and produce more. Furthermore, the prices of many agricultural products increased, giving farmers an incentive to increase production and provide better maintenance.