1. Raising prices of tapioca product by using “The tapioca intervention program 2011/2012” The tapioca intervention program 2011/2012 was operated from February to June 2012, with the target amount of 10 million tons of fresh tapioca roots. The progressive mortgage prices started from 2.75 baht per kilogram in February 2012 and increased 0.05 baht per kilogram each month to 2.90 baht per kilogram in May 2012. As for the result, there are 411,609 farmers participating in the scheme with the amount of 9,436,222 tons of tapioca. The operation has managed to raise tapioca price that faced the problem of falling prices. The price of fresh tapioca roots with the starch content of 25 % has increased from 1.80-2.00 baht per kilogram in January 2012 to 2.35-2.50 baht per kilogram in June 2012.

     2. Safeguarding and expanding tapioca product market abroad. During the period between October 2011 and June 2012, the Ministry of Commerce has succeeded at exporting tapioca products in the quantity of 6.01 million tons, with the value of US$2,047 million (63,378 million baht). The amount has increased by 13% and the value by 11% in comparison to the same period in 2011 that the export quantity was 4.58 tons in total, with the value of US$ 1,815 million (55,010 million baht). This was the result of significant export promotions including: The specification of rules and regulations regarding permissions of tapioca product exports, the provisions of certificates of origin for starch exported to the European Union, the setting up of workgroup for the project to create readiness regarding trade management in response to the realization the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) for tapioca, the trainings to develop productions and marketing for tapioca chips at the Agricultural Co-op of Nakhon Ratchasima Province in order to inform farmers and drying yard operators about the development of production to acquire quality and standards that correspond to market requirements. The case regarding the exports to China, which are facing the problem of dust, while being transported at a Chinese harbor that has led to the situation in which China has implemented measures to solve the problem and has paused tapioca imports from Thailand. At the moment, negotiations are being conducted to solve the problem. Thailand has requested to postpone the new tapioca transport measures until May 2013 or until the new harbor is in operation. Moreover, Cambodia has been clarified about Thailand’s more stringent tapioca transports in order to ensure the effectiveness of the country’s tapioca mortgage scheme.