OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF TOMATO SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IN THAILAND
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
บทคัดย่อ
This article explores the opportunities and challenges of tomato supply chain management in Thailand. Tomato is an important vegetable crop for both fresh consumption and food processing, and it is a key source of income for many small farmers, especially in the northern and northeastern regions. In 2024, tomato production in Thailand was mainly based on small-scale farming, with limited land size per household and strong dependence on seasonal and climate conditions. The tomato supply chain includes many actors, such as farmers, collectors, community enterprises, wholesalers, processors, retailers, and consumers. Transportation and logistics are essential parts of this system; however, inefficiency, high costs, and weak coordination often reduce overall supply chain performance. This article applies the concept of agricultural supply chain management to analyze the current production situation, supply chain structure, and the main opportunities and challenges facing the tomato sector in Thailand. The findings show that major challenges include high production costs, pest and disease problems, heavy use of chemical inputs, limited access to modern farming technology, weak compliance with food safety standards, poor post-harvest handling, lack of cold chain systems, and unequal bargaining power between farmers and middlemen. These issues lead to high post-harvest losses, unstable prices, and low income security for small farmers. At the same time, several important opportunities are identified. Modern production technologies, such as greenhouse farming and controlled production systems, can reduce climate risk and support year-round production. Digital tools can improve information sharing, production planning, and logistics management. In addition, food safety standards, processing, value addition, branding, and stronger cooperation through farmer groups and contract farming can help increase product value and improve income distribution. Overall, improving tomato supply chain management is essential for enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and farmer income in Thailand.
Article Details
อนุญาตภายใต้เงื่อนไข Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
เอกสารอ้างอิง
Ada, N. (2022). Sustainable supplier selection in agri-food supply chain management. International Journal of Mathematical, Engineering and Management Sciences, 7(1), 115–130.
Bhat, S. A., Huang, N.-F., Sofi, I. B., & Sultan, M. (2022). Agriculture-food supply chain management based on blockchain and IoT: A narrative on enterprise blockchain interoperability. Agriculture, 12(1), Article 40.
Butsalee, P., Thipakson, C., Thasedom, T., Jantaram, J., & Plangruksa, W. (2025). Creating economic value of tomato products to upgrade the grassroots economy to promote careers and generate income for tomato farmers in Hu Thap Subdistrict, Pakham District, Buriram Province. Journal of Management Science Udon Thani Rajabhat University, 7(5), 1–13.
Caro, M. P., Ali, M. S., Vecchio, M., & Giaffreda, R. (2018). Blockchain-based traceability in agri-food supply chain management: A practical implementation. 2018 IoT Vertical and Topical Summit on Agriculture - Tuscany (IOT Tuscany), 1–4.
Davis, T. (1993). Effective supply chain management. Sloan Management Review, 34(4), 35–46.
Department of Agriculture. (2024a). Tomato production statistics in Thailand. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Department of Agriculture. (2024b). Tomato: Percentage and monthly production, national level 2024. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Department of Agriculture. (2024c). Tomato: Planted area, harvested area, production and yield per rai, factory and table consumption varieties 2024. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Department of Agriculture. (2024d). Tomato: Planted area, number of households and average area per household 2024. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Ganeshkumar, C., Pachayappan, M., & Madanmohan, G. (2017). Agri-food supply chain management: Literature review. Intelligent Information Management, 9(2), 68–96.
Gatahi, D. M. (2020). Challenges and opportunities in tomato production chain and sustainable standards. International Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology, 7(3), 235–262.
Kamkankaew, P., Thanitbenjasith, P., Phattarowas, V., Khumwongpin, S., & Sribenjachot, S. (2025). Deglobalization and Its Impact on
Thai SMEs: Challenges, Opportunities, and Adaptation Strategies. International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews, 5(1), 371-394.
Kamkankaew, P., Thanitbenjasith, P., Sribenjachot, S., Sanpatanon, N., Phattarowas, V., & Thanin, P. (2024). How Artificial Intelligence is Helping Businesses Grow and Thrive: The Transformative Role of Artificial Intelligence in Thai B2C Digital Marketing. International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews, 4(1), 137-164.
Khedr, A. M. (2024). Enhancing supply chain management with deep learning and machine learning techniques: A review. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(4), Article 100379.
Lambert, D. M., & Cooper, M. C. (2000). Issues in supply chain management. Industrial Marketing Management, 29(1), 65–83.
Lekhavat, S., & Sanium, S. (2024). Two-stage capacitated vehicle routing problem for transportation of cherry tomatoes: Community enterprise case study in Mae Chui, Thailand. Agriculture and Natural Resources, 58(6), 735–744.
Meniga, M. (2014). The major problems and prospects of tomato marketing: An empirical analysis. International Journal of Management Research and Business Strategy, 3(2), 81–93.
Mentzer, J. T., DeWitt, W., Keebler, J. S., Min, S., Nix, N. W., Smith, C. D., & Zacharia, Z. G. (2001). Defining supply chain management. Journal of Business Logistics, 22(2), 1–25.
Mukherjee, A. A., Singh, R. K., Mishra, R., & Bag, S. (2022). Application of blockchain technology for sustainability development in agricultural supply chain: Justification framework. Operations Management Research, 15(1), 46–61.
Nayal, K., Raut, R., Priyadarshinee, P., Narkhede, B. E., Kazancoglu, Y., & Narwane, V. (2022). Exploring the role of artificial intelligence in managing agricultural supply chain risk to counter the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 33(3), 744–772.
Pattamadilok, P., Somkhampee, Y., Phromthasan, J., Naebchid, C., Imboonsu, D., Yaisomboon, W., Ngoyphoothon, S. (2015). The process of added value and worth of tomato products by community participation of Bann NaNgoi, Tao Ngoi, Sakon Nakhon. Thailand Science
Research and Innovation (TSRI).
Poapongsakorn, N., Chokesomritpol, P., & Pantakua, K. (2019). Development of food value chains in Thailand. In E. Kusano (Ed.), Food value chain in ASEAN: Case studies focusing on local producers (ERIA Research Project Report FY2018 No. 5, pp. 8–51). Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.
Power, D. (2005). Supply chain management integration and implementation: A literature review. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 10(4), 252–263.
Rosset, P., Rice, R., & Watts, M. (1999). Thailand and the world tomato: Globalization, new agricultural countries (NACs) and the agrarian question. International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 8, 71–94.
Rugchat, J. (2019). Highland agrarian transition amidst the invasion of commercial plants: A study of tomato planting in Ban Na Fon and Ban Mae Tom Bon, Chiang Mai province. Journal of Social Development, 21(1), 130–143.
Sharma, A., Sharma, A., Singh, R. K., & Bhatia, T. (2023). Blockchain adoption in agri-food supply chain management: An empirical study of the main drivers using extended UTAUT. Business Process Management Journal, 29(3), 737–756.
Siasakul, T., Dayananda, C., Pakuthai, W., & Pakdee, P. (2006). Production management of tomato growers for processing in Sakon Nakhon province. Khon Kaen Agriculture Journal, 34(4), 377–387.
Soori, M., Arezoo, B., & Dastres, R. (2023). Artificial neural networks in supply chain management, a review. Journal of Economy and Technology, 1, 179–196.
Thailand Development Research Institute. (2010). Final report: Study on supply chain management and logistics of agricultural products. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board.
Yadav, S., Luthra, S., Kumar, A., Agrawal, R., & Frederico, G. (2024). Exploring the relationship between digitalisation, resilient agri-food supply chain management practices and firm performance. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 37(2), 511–543.
Yosying, S., Choenkwan, S., Phumchantuk, P., & Palinthorn, F. (2022). Fresh tomato production of small-scale farmers along Mekong River in Northeastern region of Thailand. KKU Research Journal (Graduate Studies), 22(2), 61–74.
Yusuf, A. M., & Soediantono, D. (2022). Supply chain management and recommendations for implementation in the defense industry: A literature review. International Journal of Social and Management Studies (IJOSMAS), 3(3), 63–75.
