Thailand to be world hub for food production and trade

BANGKOK, May 23 (TNA) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced Wednesday that her government would further boost agricultural and food businesses so that Thailand could become a world center for food production and trade. Yingluck made the announcement while opening the Thaifex-World of Food Asia 2012 fair in Muang Thong Thani in the outskirts of Bangkok, saying that Thai food exports are important, as they have generated an annual national income of over 20 billion US dollars. The prime minister acknowledged although natural disasters have affected the overall Thai exports, shipments of Thai food products alone to overseas markets have kept growing because of rising food consumption worldwide; so, she sees growth potential for Thailand's overall production and exports. The Thai premier noted that her government is particularly promoting Thai food, including halal food products, internationally to boost the national economy. After the opening ceremony, Premier Yingluck visited booths, bought and tasted food products at the the Thaifex-World of Food Asia 2012 scheduled for May 23-27, aimed at demonstrating Thailand’s capabilities of food production, technology and relevant services, as well as promoting the country to be a largest center for food trade in Asia. The four-day fair is expected to draw over 90,000 visitors, generating a national income of over 13 billion baht and helping Thailand to reach its targeted food export growth of 12 per cent this year. (TNA)