Top ministry official to head taskforce on agriculture in EEC

By THE NATION

 

Raphiphat Chantharasriwong

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has appointed permanent secretary Anant Suwanrat to chair the taskforce for agricultural development in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

 

They will work in cooperation with the EEC Office, Raphiphat Chantharasriwong, secretary-general of the Office of Agricultural Economics said.

Raphiphat said the taskforce will focus on three aspects:

 

1. Use market demands to guide manufacturing plans, by estimating domestic demand in EEC areas after the U-Tapao Aerotropolis is completed, as well as demands in foreign markets such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Europe. They will also promote the creation of new products to boot demand in strategic markets.

 

2. Use modern technology to promote marketing and processing of agricultural products, such as selling via e-commerce and e-auction platforms, improving product quality via research and development to achieve international standards, and making packaging that keep products’ freshness and reduce damage from logistics and climate in destination markets.

 

3. Emphasise on five basic cluster groups (products with geographic proximity) that include fruits, fishery products, plants for bio-based products, herbal products, and high-value crops (eg decorative plants and pesticide residue free vegetables).

 

“The task force will also coordinate with the National Agricultural Big Data Centre to create a national big data on agriculture for future reference,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, a source from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives revealed that the clusters of fruits and fishery products should be given priority in the first five years of the agricultural development plan in the EEC areas, due to the increasing demand in China, the largest importer of Thai fruits, Japan, United States and emerging markets in the Middle East.

 

“The highlighted products in these clusters include fresh durian, fresh longan, fresh mango, farmed shrimp and tuna,” it said. “It is expected that the demand in EEC areas will jump 49.6 per cent in the next five years or equal to 67,163 tonnes per year.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390201

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-24

 

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U-Tapau Aerotropolis

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Aspect #2

Because of the increased water demand by planned EEC industries, the region will face high risks of water scarcity. This will directly and likely destroy the agricultural industry in the region unless there is a changing EEC strategy to manage water risks to agriculture. 

As Prayut originally used Article 44 to establish the EEC, he pre-empted necessary environmental assessment study and rejected available local government assessments regarding potential disruption of water supply to agriculture.

As such Aspect #2 disregards management of water risks to the agricultural industry. Yet jumps ahead to strategize management of its products! Classic 'carriage before the horse.' The Ministry of Agriculture needs to explain how Aspect #2 can succeed without adequate water management.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Top ministry official to head taskforce on agriculture in EEC

A lot of fancy lingo in that post... I wonder what will come out at the end... 

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Aspect #2

Because of the increased water demand by planned EEC industries, the region will face high risks of water scarcity. This will directly and likely destroy the agricultural industry in the region unless there is a changing EEC strategy to manage water risks to agriculture. 

As Prayut originally used Article 44 to establish the EEC, he pre-empted necessary environmental assessment study and rejected available local government assessments regarding potential disruption of water supply to agriculture.

As such Aspect #2 disregards management of water risks to the agricultural industry. Yet jumps ahead to strategize management of its products! Classic 'carriage before the horse.' The Ministry of Agriculture needs to explain how Aspect #2 can succeed without adequate water management.

An amulet, an order from high up and a government degree will will solve any water shortages or environmental issues.