More than 1,000 swine farmers rallied outside Thailand’s Finance Ministry in Bangkok on Thursday, urging the government to protect the local pork industry from the influx of pork and pork offal imports from the United States. The demonstration followed the Cabinet’s recent approval of US pork offal imports as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of a 36% reciprocal tariff imposed by Washington on Thai exports.
On Tuesday, April 8, the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand (SRAT) and affiliated farmer networks submitted a formal objection to the government at Government House, voicing their concerns over the policy.
Sitthiphan Thanakiatpinyo, president of SRAT, emphasized that swine farming is a longstanding pillar of Thai agriculture, providing livelihoods for farming families for generations. He stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the industry and its ability to produce clean and safe pork for domestic consumption.
“Despite facing numerous challenges, farmers and government agencies are dedicated to improving the sector,” Sitthiphan said. “The importation of US pork and offal will severely harm local farmers and related industries, threatening national food security.”
While Sitthiphan expressed support for the government’s initiative to import essential animal feed ingredients, such as maize and soybean meal, which are in short supply, he cautioned that importing US pork could undermine Thailand’s pork industry. He pointed out that the importation of feed ingredients would generate annual trade worth 84 billion baht for the US without harming local crop farmers. In contrast, importing pork and offal could jeopardize Thailand’s pork supply chain, which is valued at 300 billion baht.
“Thailand’s current pork production meets domestic demand,” Sitthiphan said. “Allowing US pork into the market would create an oversupply, disrupting the entire supply chain,” he added, referencing the 2021 pork smuggling crisis that led to widespread job losses among farmers.
Sitthiphan also raised concerns regarding food safety standards, noting that Thailand bans the use of red meat accelerators, unlike the US, where such substances may still be present in pork products. He drew comparisons to European countries, which reject chicken meat from sources that use certain antibiotics. Thailand has aligned its food safety regulations with European standards to support its export market, including bans on specific antibiotic groups.
“Consumers who ingest meat or offal containing residues of these substances may face risks to their nervous system and heart health,” he warned. “These imports could also endanger animal health if used in pet food, potentially leading to export restrictions to the European Union.”
The protest underscores the growing tension between trade policies and local agricultural interests, with farmers calling for stronger protection of domestic industries against global competition.
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