Thai PM presides over food fair in Sydney

SYDNEY, May 27 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday chaired the so-called “Thailand: Kitchen to the World” food fair in Sydney, Australia. Miss Yingluck, who is on a four-day official visit to Australia, told a crowd at the fair opening that Thai food was one of the top five favourite choices in Australia, citing a recent poll. She added that Australia had imported more than 110,000 tonnes of Thai rice yearly and was one of Thailand’s key rice importers; while food exported by Thailand from Australia was increasing by volume, with growth estimated between 5-10 per cent annually. Miss Yingluck also underlined in her statement that the principal strategies adopted by the Thai government toward food production were aimed at expanding agricultural and food businesses, boosting value by using innovative technology in agriculture, extending cooperation with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and with the rest of the world in boosting food and agricultural industries, and supporting Thai investment in overseas, especially Thai restaurant operators. (TNA)