The cabinet on Tuesday approved an action plan for food processing industry development for 2019-27 and a supporting budget of 6.6 billion baht.
According to Rachada Dhanadirek, the government spokeswoman, the action plan aims to upgrade Thailand to become a hub of processed food in Asean and become one of the top 10 food exporters to the global market by 2027.
The goal is to upgrade the processing of targeted food such as rice, fishery products, vegetable and fruits, livestock and biofood as well as beef up food packaging and digital technology to support innovative food.
She said the action plan covers a new entrepreneur incubation programme, value addition to food, job creation and income generation for the food industry.
The plan also centres on developing innovative food to commercial scale; food development and smart packaging development.
The government is also committed to assisting all levels of entrepreneurs to access local and global markets by using existing digital platforms; developing local economy and infrastructure to support entrepreneurs and food tourism as well as upgrading Thai food to achieve world-class standard.
She said the government plans to allocate 6.6 billion baht in nine years, with the private sector likely to contribute an estimated 2.22 billion baht.
The government will also establish a national committee to supervise food processing development to ensure that it aligns with the action plan.
The government aims the food industry to generate 1.42 trillion baht worth of income by 2027, with related food industries such as packaging contributing 4.5 trillion baht and investment worth 48 billion baht a year.
Thailand is currently the 11th-largest food exporter in the world market, with food shipments generating US$33.1 billion in 2019, up 3% from 2018.