Thai farmers reap THB79.46m in exports from online business matching
Thai agricultural cooperatives clinched export deals worth 79.46 million baht (US$2.41 million) at the latest Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) online business-matching event.
The July 29-30 event saw 22 companies from nine Asian countries – Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, and India – negotiate contracts with Thai farming co-operatives, the DITP said.
The main items ordered were Thai jasmine rice, white rice, milk tablets, dairy products, and processed beef products. Organic products were highlighted to tap strong international demand focused on health and the environment.
DITP said that to increase value of agricultural products, manufacturing processes should focus on quality, traceability, and certification by a reliable organisation.
The department highlighted the remarkable popularity of Thai milk tablets, citing their high nutrient value and lack of variety in foreign markets.
Online business matching in the first seven months of 2021 (January-July) matched 1,684 Thai traders with 962 foreign importers, yielding estimated total turnover of 13.86 billion baht this year, the DITP said. Agricultural sales accounted for 9.74 billion baht of that turnover.
The business-matching aimed to boost Thailand’s status as a world food producer while raising income levels in the agricultural sector, said DITP deputy director-general Somdet Susomboon.
Directly linking Thai cooperatives with foreign buyers would benefit local communities, he added.
Those who would like to join the business-matching can contact DITP Call Center 1169 or (02) 507 7825 or visit the Thaitrade.com Facebook page.
