12 October 2023 at 06: 03 PUBLISHED
Capt. Thamanat Prompow, the minister of agriculture and partnerships, declared war on the trafficking of agricultural items into Thailand on Monday, claiming that this has reduced the cost of locally produced goods.
According to the secretary, the trafficking of frozen pig carcasses, for example, is having an impact on the local pork farmers because these illegal goods have dominated the market and driven the price of pork down.
Robust measures are required to deal with it because this has exacerbated the entire situation of reduced farm product prices, he said.
In the meantime, the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI ) and the Customs Department were debating how to handle smuggled frozen pig carcasses taken from 161 shipping containers at Laem Chabang Port.
The seized carcasses would likely be removed from the port and buried in the Khlong Hat district of Sa Kaeo province on September 25 – 29, according to DSI director-general Pol Maj Suriya Singhakamol.
According to him, the burial site is not far from the port and near to Sa Kaeo’s center for animal supply research and development.
Witnesses had been called for doubting by a unique research group set up to handle the case, he claimed.
He added that 11 shipping firms involved in the sale of these illegal goods have also been raided, in addition to the 19 transport companies hired to transport the pig carcasses into Thailand.
In response to criticism of the new president’s agricultural policies, Capt. Thamanat said that once comprehensive operation plans are created along with fiscal planning, a clearer picture will come out as to how they will be put into practice.
Critics claimed that the crops policies put forth to parliament were rudimentary and might not solve the sector’s primary issues.
According to him, each department will start creating comprehensive strategies to be carried out over the next four years.
The Community Rice Centre Association( Thailand ) submitted a written proposal to the minister on Monday and January 1st to address the sector’s high production costs and low product prices.
The group claims that due to high production costs and lower item yields than other nations, agricultural field competition is at its lowest level in 20 years.