KUALA LUMPUR: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for immediate talks with Malaysia following its temporary import ban of five Thai shrimp species as part of tighter controls on Thai fishery products. Anutin issued the directive in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (Jun 2) and warned that prolonged restrictions could hurt the livelihoods of shrimp farmers, exporters and the wider seafood supply chain, said Thai government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek."If the issue is allowed to persist, it could affect farm-gate shrimp prices and the incomes of small-scale farmers," she said in a statement after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, quoted by Malaysian national news platform Bernama. Ratchada added that Anutin had told various ministers in his Cabinet, including the commerce minister and agriculture and Cooperatives minister, to hold urgent discussions with Malaysian authorities to seek a bilateral trade solution while protecting Thai farmers. Thailand's commerce minister is Suphajee Suthumpun, who is also serving as deputy prime minister, while the agriculture and cooperatives minister is Suriya Jungrungreangkit."The prime minister emphasised that this issue must not become a burden borne solely by farmers, as the shrimp industry supports an entire supply chain, including farms, collectors, processing plants, exporters and a large workforce," she was quoted as saying by local news outlets.Ratchada said that relevant agencies had been directed to cushion restriction impacts, including by stabilising farm-gate prices, managing any surplus domestic supply and accelerating efforts to secure alternative export markets.The farm-gate price is the price that covers the producer's costs and profit before exporting.Thailand exports about 6,000 tonnes to 8,000 tonnes of shrimp to Malaysia each year, accounting for about 5 per cent of total Thai shrimp exports. The ban could cost Thailand over 4 billion baht (US$122.1 million) a year, reported Thai news outlet Bangkok Post.