Agriculture Ministry, FTI work on promoting Thailand as top food exporter

[webfact]

Agriculture Ministry, FTI work on promoting Thailand as top food exporter

By THE NATION

 

 

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry will join hands with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) to promote Thailand in the post-Covid era as one of the world’s top 10 food exporters in line with the “Modern Industrial Agriculture” development model, Alongkorn Polabutr, adviser to the agriculture minister said on Thursday (July 9).

 

“Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on met with FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree and they both agreed to appoint a joint taskforce,” he said. “The taskforce met earlier this month to approve a framework with five aspects, namely production, product processing, marketing, technology and logistics, with an aim to boost product value and farmers’ revenue as well as promote Thailand’s competitiveness in the global market.”

 

Alongkorn further added that in the early phase, the taskforce will focus on the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) which covers the provinces of Chachoengsao, Rayong and Chonburi. “We will promote five basic cluster groups, or products with geographical proximity, including fruits, fishery products, plants for bio-based products, herbal products and high-value crops such as decorative plants and organic vegetables.

 

Alongkorn Polabutr

 

“The project also aims to establish an Agricultural Innovation Centre in all 77 provinces to integrate with the National Agriculture Big Data Centre and FTI’s provincial offices, so an agricultural knowledge base can be built and shared by all related parties,” he added.

 

Supant, meanwhile, said that FTI has offered the ministry three measures to help promote the agricultural sector during and after the Covid-19 era.

 

“The first measure is to push for good agricultural practices to become part of national agenda to boost farmers’ revenue, reduce disparity and minimise environmental impact. The second measure is to promote precision agriculture that utilises modern technology on at least 2 million rai of farmland nationwide.

 

“Lastly, we need to promote the growing of trees with high economic value and rehabilitation of degraded forest that covers almost 40 per cent of the country’s forest lands with functional forest management practices under the Thai Industrial Standard 14061,” the FTI chairman added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391016

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-09

 

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[varun]

On the back of monkeys and cheap, undocumented migrant labor?
Forget about it.

 

 

[Dumbastheycome]

There is is a very viable opportunity in the concept but as the first  comment  suggests it can only be hoped that it will not be without  some raw producer assistance in efficient practices and not reaped from the sudden proliferation of unemployed. I doubt there will be much need  for  migrant workers.

But regardless the concept  is to a large  extent dependent on  rain, rain , glorious  rain ! Plants to animals need water.

[DrTuner]

Ditch the antibiotics in the feed as a starter. And let the bloody topsoil rest for a while instead of pumping the dead soil full of "vitamins" which end up in the produce. In other words, the usual that ain't ever going to happen: quality over quantity.

 

https://www.reactgroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Antibiotic_Use_in_Food_Animals_Thailand_Overview_LIGHT_2018_web.pdf

[Justgrazing]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

We will promote five basic cluster groups, or products with geographical proximity, including fruits, fishery products, plants for bio-based products, herbal products and high-value crops such as decorative plants and organic vegetables.

Don't be including coconut products in that until they ditch the monkey labour .. there is a momentum building amongst shoppers against products perceived as involving animal cruelty as they see it .. Retailers get nervous about bad publicity , boycotts , etc and would sooner not sell stuff that is seen as controversial .. 

[Srikcir]

Very little to promote if Thailand joins the Trans Pacific Partnership that represents 495 million consumers and 13.5% of global GDP.

Endless number of Thai economists and trade experts have recommended Thailand join this partnership throughout the period of the Prayut regime. But the regime simply responds basically that it will continue to study the partnership - now for the last 5 years! Some question whether the regime is more being guided by preserving trade with China who cannot be a member of TPP than by what is best for Thailand's economic global strategy.