Thailand to ask ASEAN neighbors to help promote organic farming and products

[webfact]

Thailand to ask ASEAN neighbors to help promote organic farming and products



BANGKOK, 25 July 2016 (NNT) - Thailand is planning to invite neighbors from within the ASEAN region to help promote organic farming and organic products in the international market.

Minister of Commerce Apiradi Tantraporn said that the ministry will be organizing the Organic and Natural Expo 2016 during July 28 and 31 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.

Mrs. Apiradi stated that this regional-level event will be initiated to help raise the awareness of organic farming and organic farm produce for a broader recognition in the international market.

She said that seven countries within ASEAN, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have already confirmed their participation. They will put on display latest farming technologies and products as well as exchange ideas about their farming techniques.

The Commerce Minister added that all participating countries had also agreed to help build and strengthen a trade network and set up international standards for the region’s organic farming to attract international buyers.

Mrs. Apiradi went on to say that more than 23 billion baht worth of organic products are traded on a yearly basis. And of the number, Thai products account for around four billion baht.

-- NNT 2016-07-25

[Brer Fox]

Thailand has a cheek asking fellow ASEAN countries to help promote organic products to the world markets.

Thai media reported recently that tests conducted by Thailand’s Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) on 138 samples of popular fruits and vegetables found 46.6 percent of them contained residues higher than the safety standards.

The tests were conducted in March, looking into 450 kinds of toxic residues. Thai-PAN coordinator Prokchol Ousup was quoted in the media as saying that residues of 11 prohibited substances were found in the samples. Many of the tainted samples were guaranteed by the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards as of high quality.

Ousup said 25 percent of the products certified as being "organic", which were supposed to be free of chemicals, were found to contain chemical residues beyond the safe limits.

It was also claimed recently that some Thai organic farmers were caught out "buying" organic certification for their NON- ORGANIC fruits and vegetables. That would surprise no one.

All orange, guava and red samples failed the tests, so did 71.4 percent of dragon fruit samples, 66.7 percent of papaya, basil and long beans, 44 percent of mango, 22 percent of water spinach and 11 percent of tomato and cucumber.

So much for Thailand and its organic products. The rest of ASEAN countries are no better with their over indulgence of chemicals for both non-organic and so called "organic" products .

Just the other day a commercial chicken processing factory in Vietnam was found out to be dipping their chickens into a carcinogenic yellow dye to make the chickens look like natural free range "organic" chickens which have more appeal to consumers.

With a few isolated exceptions "organic" food in Asia is one big lie.

[colinneil]

The Thai authorities should concentrate on getting Thai farmers to grow organically.

In my own small way i grow 100% organically.

I have tried several times to get locals/ family to grow organically, total waste of time, they are not interested.

[waldroj]

The Minister of Commerce is talking "more shit"!

[khwaibah]

The Thai authorities should concentrate on getting Thai farmers to grow organically.

In my own small way i grow 100% organically.

I have tried several times to get locals/ family to grow organically, total waste of time, they are not interested.

My wife is totally into organic farming. 8 rai of garden and another 24 rai of rice. Her other family members have another 40 rai which they keep organic. My wife is in a group that covers a large area of issan. Her group is backed by the army and local government. Organic farming organization groups are out there. You have to look.

[nongsangcity]

The Thai authorities should concentrate on getting Thai farmers to grow organically.

In my own small way i grow 100% organically.

I have tried several times to get locals/ family to grow organically, total waste of time, they are not interested.

i am just interested to know what you grow and how much of it ???.....100% organic wow....

[Srikcir]

The Thai authorities should concentrate on getting Thai farmers to grow organically.

In my own small way i grow 100% organically.

I have tried several times to get locals/ family to grow organically, total waste of time, they are not interested.

My wife is totally into organic farming. 8 rai of garden and another 24 rai of rice. Her other family members have another 40 rai which they keep organic. My wife is in a group that covers a large area of issan. Her group is backed by the army and local government. Organic farming organization groups are out there. You have to look.

Her group is backed by the army

Just curious but how is that relevant to organic farming?

Do you mean that the army is a direct buyer of your organic grown products?

[khwaibah]

The Thai authorities should concentrate on getting Thai farmers to grow organically.

In my own small way i grow 100% organically.

I have tried several times to get locals/ family to grow organically, total waste of time, they are not interested.

My wife is totally into organic farming. 8 rai of garden and another 24 rai of rice. Her other family members have another 40 rai which they keep organic. My wife is in a group that covers a large area of issan. Her group is backed by the army and local government. Organic farming organization groups are out there. You have to look.

Her group is backed by the army

Just curious but how is that relevant to organic farming?

Do you mean that the army is a direct buyer of your organic grown products?

Befor you read anything else into this the army on the local seen has been very supportive and involved in the set up of these groups with the local government organizations. When people say that the locals are not interested in organic farming they are talking from their backside. The Thais have more groups evolved in this than foreigners are aware of. If your partner is interested in organic they will find the local contacts. These contacts are in Thai and are all over the social media networks.