January 12, 2015
ASEAN makes up a quarter of Thailand's agricultural exports
In particular, cross-border trade of agricultural produce between Thailand and its four closest neighbours has the potential to grow.
The optimism came from Pisan Pongsapitch, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, who notes that the countries are working to reduce trade barriers.
He said that major Thai exports to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia include chicken and pork. In return, Thailand has imported beans, corn for animal feed, and shrimp. The combined value of bilateral trade between Thailand and those countries is worth about 100,000 million baht (US$3.04 million) and is expected to increase in the future.
In comparison, Thailand is exporting food and agricultural products worth about one trillion baht to the world market, one-quarter of which are sold to the nine other ASEAN members, making the regional bloc Thailand's largest trading partner in terms of these products.
Pongsapitch also said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is integrating the work of the quarantine stations for plants, and land and aquatic animals, to boost the efficiency of border trade. These three quarantine stations are now working closely online for commodity inspection along Thailand's borders.