National Agriculture Day in Thailand Date in the current year: February 2, 2024

Agriculture in Thailand is a highly competitive, diversified and specialized economic sector. Its exports are very successful both inside and outside the Asian region. Agricultural production accounts for an estimated 9 to 10.5% of the country’s GPD, and approximately 40% of the population are engaged in agriculture or related jobs.

The most important crop of Thailand is rice. It is grown by about 60% of the country’s farmers on half of cultivated land. Thailand is one of the world’s biggest rice exporters; in 2014, rice export accounted for 1.3 % of Thai GDP.

Other food crops grown in Thailand include coconuts (although the country produces less coconuts than it consumes and has to import coconuts from Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia), coffee (Thailand is the producer of the famous Black Ivory Coffee made from beans digested by elephants), tapioka, soybeans, and fruit (durian, longan, langsat, mangosteen, rambutan, salak). Agriculture in Thailand also includes insect ranching, palm oil production, dairy farming, sugar production, and fishery.

Thailand is also an exporter of industrially processed foods, such as canned pineapples, canned tuna, and frozen shrimp. Its main non-food crops are rubber and silkworms. The country is a major exporter of rice, giant tiger prawns, canned pineapples, and rubber. In general, Thailand’s agriculture is capable of providing with food four times as many people as the country’s population.

Official events on the occasion of National Agriculture Day are held by the Ministry of Agriculture of Thailand with the support of various agricultural organizations. Every year, all events are dedicated to a new theme. For example, in 2019, National Agriculture Day events focused on sustainable development and the integration of research, innovation and agriculture. The main agricultural forum is held in a new province every year in order to encourage the development of agriculture in every region.

In addition to National Agriculture Day, Thailand celebrates other agriculture-related observances, for example, National Dairy Day (January 17) and the Royal Ploughing Ceremony that marks the beginning of the agricultural season (held in May).