Thailand is a globally pivotal food exporter, recognized as “the only net exporter of food in Asia” and “one of the world's top five exporters of agricultural products”, which all proves that Thailand plays an incomparable role in global food exports. According to local media in Thailand, Thailand’s official export data showed that the total value of exports in June was US$21.79 billion, an increase of 8.19% year-on-year. In the first six months of 2018, Thailand’s export trade surplus was US$1.877 billion.
Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of rice and natural rubber. It’s arable land accounts for 41% of the country’s land area. The vast arable land and abundant resources make it possible for Thailand to export a large number of agricultural products. Since the crops have been grown in the traditional way, the agricultural products produced in Thailand is also known for being natural, delicious, nutritious, and healthy. The main crops are rice, corn, cassava, rubber, sugar cane, mung bean, hemp, tobacco, coffee beans, cotton, palm oil, coconut and so on.
Among Thai’s many agricultural products, Thai jasmine rice is the most popular and is considered to be the best rice in the world. Thai jasmine rice is a long-grain rice originating in Thailand. It is famous for its sweet taste and unique pandanus scent. The Counselor’s report issued by the Overseas Agriculture Bureau of US Department of Agriculture shows that rice production in Thailand is expected to increase in 2018-2019 because of the attractive price and abundant water supply, which is conducive to irrigation. The rice production is also expected to reach a record of 21 million tons, an increase of 3% over 2017-2018.
Tropical fruit is one of the most important crops in Thailand and is exported annually to China, Japan, the United States and Europe. With the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area, Thailand has taken the lead in signing a zero-tariff agreement on fruit and vegetables with China in ASEAN. The value of fruit exports to China has been on the rise. China is the largest country importing Thai fruit. The advantages of Thai fruit export to China are diverse varieties, unique flavor and developed logistics system. There are more than 50 kinds of fruits produced in Thailand, among which 22 kinds are allowed to export to China currently. The most popular among Chinese consumers are durian, longan, mangosteen, banana, rambutan and lychee.
In February of this year, the Thai Cabinet approved a fruit development strategic plan that set the goal of building Thailand into a world-class tropical fruit trade country. The Cabinet also passed the proposal of Eastern Fruit Corridor Project, which aims to facilitate Thailand to become a tropical fruit trade country, develop fruit production and processing industry, and acquire the international recognition of its quality standards, in order to promote Thai brands to go global and gain credibility in the international market.
In addition, Thailand is one of the major fish producers in the world and the third largest marine fi shery country in Asia after Japan and China. It has a vast sea area. The Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea are natural marine fi sheries that enjoy exceptional advantages, while Bangkok, Songkhla and Phuket island are important fi shing centers and distribution centers for fi shery product.
Today, Thai food industry is increasingly attaching importance to food packaging and processing to expand the added value and market influence of its agricultural products. As 80% of the ingredients used in Thai food come from abundant local natural resources, Thai food has a very competitive price. Moreover, Thai food culture is highly inclusive and transformative. We can also find these two characteristics in the processed food industry. From the flavor to the packaging, everything about the Thai food are quite international. With the further implementation of the “Belt and Road” policy, it is believed that more and more excellent Thai food will be unveiled in China’s market.
Source:www.food2china.com
