ส.อ.ท. ร่วมขับเคลื่อนการจัดตั้ง “เครือข่ายธุรกิจเกษตร GMS” มุ่งเสริมความร่วมมือระดับภูมิภาค ยกระดับห่วงโซ่อุปทานเกษตรFTI Joins in Driving the Establishment of the "GMS Agribusiness Network" to Enhance Regional Cooperation and Upgrade Agricultural Supply Chains

From May 25 to 26, 2026, Krit Uengwitoonstit and Thanawat Jitbanterngpan, representative of the GMS Business Council of Thailand, along with representatives from the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), participated in the GMS Agribusiness Sector Consultation Workshop to discuss the establishment of the “GMS Agribusiness Network” as a crucial mechanism for the private sector to systematically offer policy recommendations to the government while promoting cross-border supply chain cooperation at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.

During the meeting, Krit presented an overview of the situation and challenges facing the Thai agricultural sector in the Greater Mekong Subregion, stating that Thai agricultural and food products represent a “One Ecosystem” with neighboring countries, resulting in a significant reliance on cross-border integration for Thai agribusiness.

However, the private sector still faces significant obstacles, including regulatory uncertainties, non-tariff trade measures (NTBs), information gaps, and international sustainability standards, such as the European Union's regulations on products free from deforestation (EU Deforestation Regulation - EUDR).

Furthermore, a driving strategy was proposed through three key strategies:
1. Reduce post-harvest losses by jointly investing in cold chain infrastructure along the borders.
2. Link traceability systems using agricultural data management technology to meet international standards.
3. Expand the FastPass measures to reduce cross-border logistics steps.

Moreover, the meeting discussed ways to create operational collaboration, focusing on developing a clear Action Plan while defining roles, responsibilities, and timelines for implementation.

The network will also be linked to the agenda of the GMS Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) and the establishment of a financial mechanism to support smallholder farmers.

Additionally, the meeting reached a consensus to officially proceed with the establishment of the “GMS Agribusiness Network” to enhance collaborations in food safety standards (GAP/SPS) and to promote regular annual joint meetings between the government and the private sector to further elevate policy implementation to tangible actions.

The GMS Business Council operates under the Joint Public-Private Sector Committee of three institutions (JFC), and in 2026, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) will oversee the GMS cooperation framework.