Ministry allows increase in feed-meal prices

The Commerce Ministry is allowing feed-meal producers to increase the price of their products by Bt10 per 30-kilogram bag, resulting in higher costs for livestock farmers.

Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa, director-general for the Internal Trade Department, said the department had to allow an increase in the price of feed-meal because raw materials were becoming expensive.

So far, the price of feed-meal for aquaculture, chicken and cows has been increased. Wiboonlasana said the department would not allow any food retailers to increase their prices because the cost of feed-meal accounts for a very small percentage of their production costs.

So far, no livestock producers have asked the department for permission to increase their prices.

In addition, the department is conducting a cost-structure survey on dairy products to protect consumers.

Primarily, producers may be urged to cut down their marketing costs before being allowed to increase their retail prices.