January 13, 2009

  

Flat growth for Thailand's livestock sector this year

 

 

Thailand's livestock industry will slightly grow by two percent in 2009 due to expected shrinking consumption caused by the global economic crisis.

 

According to Yukol Limlaemthong, director-general of Livestock Development Department at the Agriculture Ministry, the two percent growth would be the best performance but entirely, the industry will foresee a flat growth.  

 

The country's livestock sector earned an estimated about 348 billion baht (US$9.96 billion) in 2008. Exports, led by processed poultry, accounted for 100 billion baht of the total. 

 

According to Mr Yukol, the crisis may also pull down country's poultry shipments this year, with exports projected at 40-45 billion baht, unchanged from a year earlier. 

 

The industry is also facing high prices for animal feeds such as corn and soy, hence, the lower forecast. 

 

Pork exports will also likely remain at 10,000 tonnes a year, with markets like Japan and elsewhere in Asia still as main buyers. 

 

Mr Yukol said the farmers may have to adjust their production to cope with the shrinking demand and production.  

 

The director general has also called for tight monitoring for diseases such as bird flu, particularly in the lower northern areas of the country.  

 

Bird flu has re-emerged as a threat in Asia after China recently reported that the disease killed a woman in Beijing and neighbouring Vietnam said a girl had contracted the virus. 

 

The cases are the first involving humans in the two countries in nearly a year, and mark a reappearance of the H5N1 virus as Asia moves into the cold winter months that typically favour the spread of the virus.

 

US$1 = THB34.9013 (Jan 13)