Phetchabun corn farmers rally to demand compensation over US corn imports

MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2025

Phetchabun corn farmers protest against US GMO corn imports, demanding government compensation as local prices plunge.

Hundreds of corn farmers in Phetchabun rallied to demand compensation from the government, claiming its decision to allow imports of US genetically modified (GMO) corn had caused local prices to plunge.

Protest leaders threatened to escalate the demonstrations if the government failed to respond to their demands by Friday.

They said that after the government agreed to allow the import of three million tonnes of GMO corn from the US, local animal feed factories either refused to buy Thai corn or purchased it at significantly lower prices, severely impacting farmers’ livelihoods.

 

Phetchabun corn farmers rally to demand compensation over US corn imports

The farmers argued that the policy, introduced without consultation with corn growers, had affected more than 450,000 farming families.

The protest leader noted that the Thai Feed Mill Association had previously pledged to buy corn at 9.80 baht per kilogram at a moisture content of 14.5%. However, factories are now paying less than 9 baht per kilogram and many have also imposed quotas on daily purchases of local corn.

Phetchabun corn farmers rally to demand compensation over US corn imports

As a result, the protesters demanded that the government compensate farmers at a rate of 7.50 baht per kilogram for corn with a 30% moisture content, for a period of three years, to give them sufficient time to adjust to the US corn imports.

They added that compensation should be based on registered corn farm areas, and insisted the government must respond by Friday, or farmers would intensify their protests.
Phetchabun corn farmers rally to demand compensation over US corn imports Phetchabun corn farmers rally to demand compensation over US corn imports