สถานการณ์ปัจจุบันของอุตสาหกรรมข้าวโพดหวานไทย

On January 23, 2024, at the meeting of Thai Food Processors’ Association, Secretary General Dr. Ongart Kittikhunchai revealed the current situation of Thai sweet corn industry as follows:

Exports of canned sweet corn in January to November 2023, both volume and value grew by 20.4% and 28.0%, respectively, with positive supporting factors including raw material quantities increasing by 60 percent due to weather conditions suitable for corn growth, resulting in a higher yield per rai. There are new breeds that have been improved to be resistant to disease. Including the price of sweet corn has increased. Therefore, it motivates both existing and new farmers to plant and maintain more plantations.

In the year 2023, there was an increase in the promotion of cultivation compared to the previous year. However, it was affected from March to April by summer storms and heavy rainfall, causing approximately 20 percent of the farmland to be damaged. Additionally, during September to October, continuous rainfall led to waterlogging in the cultivation areas. Farmers had to postpone their planting plans by 15-20 days. Some of the crops that were already planted experienced poor pollination, resulting in empty seeds and malformed cobs. Outbreaks of diseases such as leaf blight, downy mildew, and low seed germination rate were observed due to the excessively hot weather conditions. Furthermore, there has been a shortage of some sweet corn seed varieties since October 2023 onwards. Even though farmland is affected by natural disasters but it has benefited from the positive promoting factors mentioned above. This will allow the amount of production this year to increase to compensate for the damaged areas.

In 2024, it is expected that there might be volume of sweet corn to around 500-600 thousand tons. Due to the current surplus of products in factories from the previous year’s production and some market
declining due to economic challenges, trading partners have sufficient products available in the market. As a result, there is no urgency to import additional goods. Additionally, trading partners are delaying their orders due to the impact of the conflict situation in the Red Sea, leading to a three to fourfold increase in shipping costs. Furthermore, some trading partners have turned to purchasing goods from competitor countries. In 2024, Thailand might be able to produce up to 700 thousand tons of sweet corn if competitor countries face a shortage of raw materials, leading customers to turn to Thailand for their purchases.

The yield harvested in January-February 2024 is around 3 tons per rai, because of favorable weather conditions conducive to the growth of sweet corn. For the upcoming rainy season planting, it will be crucial to monitor the rainfall situation to determine its direction. Sufficient rainfall would be beneficial for the cultivation of sweet corn, leading to a good yield and higher income for farmers.

Even though Thailand currently holds a leading position in the world’s production and export of canned sweet corn, there must be continuous development in order to increase competitive potential. In terms of cultivation, it is advisable to incorporate new technologies to enhance accurate yield predictions. Additionally, the development of high-yield varieties that are disease-resistant and drought-tolerant should be prioritized. This can contribute to more efficient and resilient sweet corn production. In addition, there is a need to advocate for global trade negotiations to increase competitive opportunities even further.