December 25, 2010

Thai livestock exports to rise in 2011

Thailand's livestock exports are forecast to further expand in 2011, thanks to rising global demand, according to the Thai Agricultural Economic Society.

The Thai Agricultural Economic Society has acknowledged that the improving prospects will be seen mainly in local poultry businesses that have benefited from the opening market of frozen poultry in Russia, South Africa, Malaysia, Bahrain, and Japan.

The Thai Agricultural agency has warned local livestock producers to, however, be vigilant against such risk factors as animal diseases, namely the avian flu and the foot-and-mouth disease, and to also be prepared for rising costs of animal feeds, mostly imported, shortages of animal breeders, and impacts from free trade activities.

The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has, nonetheless, said it has prepared measures to mitigate the problems for local livestock producers, including upgrading Thai farming standards and encouraging local farmers to grow soy after rice harvests to reduce their reliance on imports of soy which are now as high as 1.72 million tonnes annually.

Meanwhile, Apichart Jongsakul, Secretary-General of the ministry's Agricultural Economics Office (OAE), affirmed that Thailand's overall livestock prices will remain good in 2011, except beef production which has been on a downturn since earlier this year.

Jongsakul attributed Thailand's rising livestocks prices to declining sources of inputs or factors of production, and suggested that local growers of cassava and soy to be on alert for possible price fluctuations next year.