Central herbal raw materials market opens to promote Thai herbs
The central herbal raw materials market was opened at TalaadThai Market in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district on Monday, aiming to promote Thai herbs and spices on the international stage.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin stated at the opening ceremony that the ministry has implemented a policy to elevate Thai wisdom to international standards and expand its presence in global markets.
The policy also seeks to integrate Thai traditional medicine and herbal remedies more extensively into public health services, anticipating a significant rise in demand for herbal raw materials.
He explained that, over the past four years, the Public Health and Agriculture Ministries, in collaboration with Thai Agro Exchange—the operator of TalaadThai Market—have jointly implemented a safe fresh herbs and spices market project.
As a result, more than 210,000 tonnes of fresh herbs and spices, worth over 2.3 billion baht, enter the Thai market annually.
“The opening of this central market will facilitate access to high-quality, standardised materials while strengthening the herbal supply chain from upstream to downstream production,” he said.
“It will also connect farmers, traditional medicine practitioners, entrepreneurs, food processors, and researchers to foster innovation and elevate Thai herbs to international standards.”
Somsak expects the annual market value to surpass 6 billion baht.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Itthi Sirilatthayakorn added that this initiative aligns with an action plan to enhance the production and processing of herbal raw materials, ensuring compliance with quality standards.
The plan is structured as follows:
- Upstream: Producing safe herbs that meet Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) or organic standards, incorporating advanced technology, establishing large-scale plantations, and supporting enterprise groups and cooperatives.
- Midstream: Conducting initial processing, applying value-added technology, promoting innovations, and investing in research.
- Downstream: Expanding community markets and launching online central herbal markets.
Itthi highlighted that the launch of the central herbal raw materials market marks a significant step towards developing an efficient, transparent, and traceable production and distribution system for Thai herbal raw materials.
