Genetic modification seen as future of Thai rubber industry

BANGKOK: -- Genetically modified rubber trees could be the future of the Thai rubber industry, producing high quantities of latex, according to one of Thailand’s principle agricultural firms.

As one of the world’s main rubber-producing nations, Thailand is keen to boost rubber production and ensure equitable prices for its farmers.

And although GM products have been opposed for human consumption, the Charoen Pokphand group, one of the country's largest business empires, is confident that the government will give the go-ahead for the cultivation of GM rubber in the future.

Today Mr. Sumeth Phinyosanit, the group’s Thailand crop manager, revealed that the group was planning to study GM rubber, with the eventual aim of coming up with a new GM rubber trees which would be marketed under the GM brand.

Studies suggest that GM rubber trees could produce higher quantities of latex than ordinary rubber trees, and that the wood would also be of a higher quality.

“CP is currently collecting rubber trees from all over the world to prepare for research”, Mr. Sumeth said, adding that a team from CP had been sent to the US to study GM technology.

“We hope that the government will open up to this issue, especially for crops not for consumption, such as rubber”.

However, he admitted that both legislation and public acceptance of GM products remain hurdles.

--TNA 2005-05-25

Songkhla readies to become global rubber hub

SONGKHLA: -- Thailand's southern province of Songkhla is pouring huge amounts of money into strategies aimed at transforming it into a global hub of the rubber industry, the province’s governor, Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang, revealed today.

Mr. Somporn said that Songkhla was forging ahead with plans to upgrade the province’s rubber industry, and had allocated Bt14 million to Prince of Songkhla University for the establishment of a rubber product technology transfer centre.

The centre will allow rubber farmers interested in setting up community enterprises to learn about new machinery, equipment and cultivation methods.

The university, which has a dedicated faculty of Rubber and Polymer Technology in Pattani Province, is also encouraging its researchers to target rubber production as an area of study.

--TNA 2005-05-25

Locally every Tom,Dick and Harry seems to be opening rubber nurseries so God knows what the quality of the trees will be like.

Songkhla readies to become global rubber hub

SONGKHLA: -- Thailand's southern province of Songkhla is pouring huge amounts of money into strategies aimed at transforming it into a global hub of the rubber industry, the province’s governor, Mr. Somporn Chaibangyang, revealed today.

--TNA 2005-05-25

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Phewww what a relief.....I was getting worried that it had been almost a week since the last Thai 'hub' was announced....

Phewww what a relief.....I was getting worried that it had been almost a week since the last Thai 'hub' was announced....

Can anyone tell me where the "beer hub" is?