August 21, 2009

 
Thailand's chicken-raising industry, along with the rice milling and rubber industries have been targeted for new technology assistance by the Technology Management Centre's (TMC) Industrial Technology Assistance Programme (iTAP).

 

Under the "iTap Big Impact" scheme, TMC plans to offer its services and funding subsidies to help more small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the three industries.

 

TMC director Chatchanart Theptharanon said the move aims to save energy and improve productivity in the three industries. The industries were chosen because they generate Thailand's core revenue.

 

In the chicken-raising industry, the programme aims to install locally made air-control fans in broiler houses. The 50-inch fans are half the price of imported models, could achieve a 23 percent of energy saving and help relieve tension and stress among the chickens as the fans produce no noise, according to Chatchanart.

 

Each broiler house typically requires 10 air-control fans, so if all of the 64,000 broiler houses in Thailand use this technology, the country could save up to THB1.3 billion (US$38.2 million) per year, she said.

 

In the programmes, iTap will provide up to 50 percent of the total cost of technology deployment, but not over THB500,000 (US$14,650), she said.