Govt Push For Thailand To Become Organic Hub

[webfact]

Govt Push for Thailand to Become Organic Hub

The Pheu Thai-led government has said it will promote Thailand as an organic market hub in the Asian region before the ASEAN Economic Community is formed in 2015.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong reiterated that the organic market has rapidly expanded.

It's expected that the world market will grow by 20 percent, while the domestic market will grow by 10 percent.

He explained that developed countries such as the United States and Asian countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia will increase their organic product imports to meet domestic demand.

Kittirat added that the Pheu Thai-led government plans to introduce an intense marketing strategy from 2011 to 2015, intending to promote Thailand as an organic market hub.

The project will focus on ASEAN countries, with the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community or AEC fast approaching in 2015.

Kittirat added that there are currently some 6,000 organic entrepreneurs with a total of nearly 100,000 rais and a value of six billion baht, an equivalent of 140 million U.S. dollars.

He insisted that the project will increase Thai farmers' revenue.

In addition, it's expected that prominent Thai products such as Jasmine rice will increase two times in price and will continue to rise by least 10 percent.

The commerce minister reaffirmed that international organizations such as UNCTAD have confirmed that organic products are an alternative solution for food deprivation caused by climate change and skyrocketing population.

Moreover, consumers in developed countries are willing to pay higher prices for quality products.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-01

[tomross46]

So hemp products will be legal?

[Boater]

also these ' Hub ' campaigns are getting REALLY boring !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[siampolee]

There is an abundance of natural resources available from the P.T.P. to support this particular project.

[djlest]

yawn!

Hubba Hubba - How about fixing the countries electricity and pollution, hellish transport system, dirty water, and lack of regulations for chemicals.

Then maybe International communities will not laugh at the notion of ('A Pure Thai)

[aneliane]

way 2 go

[Deez]

A new way to scam. Claim its organic and up the price

[jonclark]

"Moreover, consumers in developed countries are willing to pay higher prices for quality products."

He makes it sound as though consumers in developed countries just have money to throw around and are all well off. They aren't!

Unfortunately due to global recession most people in developed countries are tightening their belt and luxury products are being reduced. Aldi is doing great business in the UK at moment and that sells the cheapest shi* going.

This entire plan hinges on the global economy picking up - which we all hope for - but at the moment the signs aren't good for a imminent recovery

[PaultheSeeker]

I think they should extend the organic idea to include hotels - pesticide-free hotel rooms where people don't need to worry about dying unexpectedly.

[Wavefloater]

"Moreover, consumers in developed countries are willing to pay higher prices for quality products."

Unfortunately, the term 'quality product' and the word 'Thailand' don't exactly go together. Before even entertaining the idea of offering quality products to the world, Thailand will need decades to change the unscrupulous business methods for which they have gained such a poor reputation.

I would also suggest there should be a law stating that at least one of the dozens of hub plans announced goes forward before anymore can be announced. Don't these clowns see just how ridiculous they come across?

[thaicbr]

"Kittirat added that there are currently some 6,000 organic entrepreneurs"

What he means is there are 6,000 farmers who can not afford the expensive fertilizer and pesticides the rest use

[femi fan]

"Moreover, consumers in developed countries are willing to pay higher prices for quality products."

Unfortunately, the term 'quality product' and the word 'Thailand' don't exactly go together. Before even entertaining the idea of offering quality products to the world, Thailand will need decades to change the unscrupulous business methods for which they have gained such a poor reputation.

The article is about food, so the 'quality' label is with regard to food.

In which case the food grown and produced here in thailand is of an infinitely superior quality to two western countries that i know of, britain and australia. I've heard much about america too, but cannot vouch personally for the absolute shit that most people there eat. Much produce in britain and australia is virtually tasteless these days, and for sound, if somewhat depressing, reasons.

And where the quality of food here in thailand dips, is where they have adopted western practices in the production and transport of foods. Factory farming chickens, fish farms, and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of chemicials imported from american, british, and german pharmaceutical companies to poison the landscape and farmers producing our food.

When it comes to quality in food, people are far far safer here than they are in most western nations.

This article is optimistic news for those who value eating fresh produce that hasn't been grown in depleted soils, and sprayed with dozens of chemicals before hitting our dinner plates.

[hyperdimension]

They're more likely to succeed in marketing Thailand as an orgasmic hub.

[Misterwhisper]

I don't know, but I am starting to get tired of all these hubs they're throwing at us. Meanwhile, street lighting in my entire soi has been out for a whole week, the garbage truck only turns up sporadically and a neighboring vacant plot is starting to look like a landfill as people (from all over town, it seems) dump their mostly plastic trash there in heaps.

Fix the country first before even attempting to becoming a hub of any sort, or at least come up with a new word. How about "navel" as in "Thailand, navel of the world"?

[Moruya]

It's about time they came out with some policies they can actually implement.

[Felt 35]

When it comes to quality in food, people are far far safer here than they are in most western nations.

[givenall]

With so many fake products in LOS how can you trust isOrganic

[ginjag]

I don't know, but I am starting to get tired of all these hubs they're throwing at us. Meanwhile, street lighting in my entire soi has been out for a whole week, the garbage truck only turns up sporadically and a neighboring vacant plot is starting to look like a landfill as people (from all over town, it seems) dump their mostly plastic trash there in heaps.

Fix the country first before even attempting to becoming a hub of any sort, or at least come up with a new word. How about "navel" as in "Thailand, navel of the world"?

Your bins are sometimes collected, Ha Ha, so your in a posh area ????,,,,,,,,,,,,,,we were provided new bins, but the problem being collection of the rubbish was never discussed, we empty ours out and burn it, this place is hilarious. HUB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Do they have a health and environment department ????? most rural areas are as bad as Calcutta- (example)..............Look at how most conduct their home area, outside a tip, inside they sweep their tiled floors 10 times a day.

[femi fan]

With so many fake products in LOS how can you trust isOrganic

How can you trust this anywhere? In england it only means that a certain %age must be from organic origin.

Normally i use two barometers: how much i trust the shop where i buy it, and secondly by taste. Also, the less perfect it looks, the more likely it's naturally grown!

But then here in chiang mai, we get various markets where farmers come in from the mountains to sell their surplus produce. There are local organisations which create their own requirements for what organic means, and create their own supply lines from farmer to consumer. There are also government guidelines, and again up here we get various royal project produce.

There are many farmers returning to organically grown crops, aided by both thai and farang townsfolk who are doing various organising jobs, along with knowledge on how to go organic.

It would be a very good move indeed by this government to follow up on this idea, and make it reality, especially the way food production and transport is going in the world today. If they do do this, and after seeing petrol reduced by virtually 20% this government are already doing more than i ever saw a british government do. Here the citizens actually get given things, whereas in britain it's just take take take all the time.

What's the difference between a fake football shirt and the real thing? About 2000 baht!! Nowt wrong with fake products, in fact anything that reduces the obscene profit margins of those massive western corporations and their fatcat directors, and puts a bit back into the lives of ordinary citizens is a good thing.

[Ulysses G.]

Is it April fools or Not The Nation?

[livinthailandos]

darn someone beat me to it, yes its nice to see thailand is going to aiming for the pie in the sky,

Amazing Thailand full of hubs ( hubs that never actually took placed or happened, just lots of empty promising and trying to look good

IT Hub

Avation Hub

One hub after another, how about making a real hub its called the BS hub ( at least this hub would succeed 100% ) it would mark a major milestone as it would be the first and only successful hub thailand ever completed

[Felt 35]

"Bon Appetit"

The eating culture of Thai people has changed, from eating home-cooked food to eating out, or eating finished, semi-finished or instant food. The mass and rapid cooking is popular, and is often found to be non-hygiene both in food material and containers, resulting in deterioration of food quality. The survey of food preparation in 2001 has found that only 20.1 percent, 8.1 percent, 13 percent and 51.7 percent of restaurants, fresh markets, school canteens and hospital canteens, respectively, meet the hygiene standard. Therefore, the consumers are exposed to unclean food and sub-standard food. Also, in 2001, there was close monitoring of cooking processes like checking of food, food containers and the hands of food preparers. The findings showed that the bacteria Coli form was found in 12,587 food samples out of 70,477 samples (17.8%), 11,332 food containers out of 58,907 samples (19.2%) and 6863 of 37,306 samples of food preparers (18.4%). The reports of the Department of Medical Science, 1993-01, show that there were excessive residues of pesticides and growth stimulant Zalbutanol in vegetables and fruits and it also show an upward trend from 16.2 percent in 1996 to 30.1 percent in 1997.

http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1525_10863.htm

[Misterwhisper]

When it comes to quality in food, people are far far safer here than they are in most western nations.

Yup, that's probably why the EU has a couple of months ago banned imports of certain types of Thai agricultural produce. They are just jealous that Thai vegetables are so much yummier and safer than theirs.

[femi fan]

When it comes to quality in food, people are far far safer here than they are in most western nations.

Yup, that's probably why the EU has a couple of months ago banned imports of certain types of Thai agricultural produce. They are just jealous that Thai vegetables are so much yummier and safer than theirs.

We are what we believe...

You could of course turn your statement on its head, if we're to make conclusions upon personal beliefs, that the EU stopped these imports because they were showing up the EU's own very dodgy produce.

A cursory glance into the western world of food and nutrition is a frightening experience. I understand if you don't want to go down that route. But meanwhile we need the thai government to reverse most of the western food practices that are being 'promoted', 'persuaded' into this country. All pesticides are imported from EU or US. Whereas EM is quite well-known here in thailand amongst thai people, but western pharma companies are doing their best to replace such alternative crop sprays with all their varied poisons.

So, if this government is serious about this organic hub, then that's good news for all those who value their lives in the modern day.

[Steely Dan]

I think they should extend the organic idea to include hotels - pesticide-free hotel rooms where people don't need to worry about dying unexpectedly.

A green hotel, now there's an idea. Perhaps they'll have to employ teams of Burmese workers armed with magnifying glasses and fly swatters to kill the bedbugs.

[gemini81]

Always more like the Orgasmic Hub than the Organic Hub.