Coordination Issues in Thailand's Broiler Value Chain

Poultry production (predominately broilers) is the most important livestock industry in Thailand. It is the major source of meat and generates substantial employment and income. There are a number of different production systems ranging from modern integrated commercial systems to smallholder production systems. However, the Thai poultry value chain, in general, suffers from several major issues or constraints affecting value chain coordination. These problems include reduced availability and rising prices of feedgrains, poor infrastructure, and food safety issues. For feedgrains, more research into more productive crops and alternative crops is likely to help. Regarding social and physical infrastructure, the government could usefully play a greater role in building more road networks, setting up power grids and securing water sources. Finally, food safety concerns can be resolved by upgrading the value chain to closed production systems, focussing on biosecurity measures and compartmentalization.