Mr. Peerapan Kothong, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), revealed that Agricultural Economic Volunteers (AEVs) play a crucial role in driving agricultural economic work at the local level. They support government operations in collecting data, reporting on agricultural production and price situations, ensuring accurate, complete, and timely information. Therefore, to enhance the capabilities of AEVs and ensure their readiness for action, the OAE is launching a training workshop project in fiscal year 2026 titled “Developing the Potential of Agricultural Economic Volunteers (AEVs) at Agricultural Production Efficiency Improvement Learning Centers (APELC)” at the regional level. The training kicked off first in the Eastern and Western regions, conducted by the Office of Agricultural Economics Region 6, Chonburi (OAE 6) and the Office of Agricultural Economics Region 10, Ratchaburi (OAE 10), on December 18-19, 2025, at the Sand Dunes Chao Lao Beach Resort, Chanthaburi Province.

This training aims to enhance the capabilities of Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs), focusing on both upskilling existing skills and reskilling essential new skills. Specifically, it emphasizes digital skills and the use of information technology for data reporting to support policy decision-making and sustainable solutions to agricultural commodity price issues, aligning with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives' Agriculture 4.0 policy. Currently, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) oversees 1,010 AEOs nationwide. The OAE's policy is to promote and develop all AEOs to ensure their operational capabilities are in line with current technologies. This training targets 146 AEOs covering over 125 districts in the eastern and western regions. Following this, the OAE plans to conduct further training across all regions, starting with the Northeast in January, followed by the North, Central, and Southern regions around May 2026. The goal is to improve the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of agricultural information collection according to the production calendar, which will serve as a crucial database for analyzing the situation and determining solutions to commodity price problems. This includes strengthening regional networks through the 882 Production Efficiency Improvement Learning Centers (PEILCs) nationwide.

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