A combination of factors such as favourable weather for farming, an agriculture-dependent population, thriving export climate and growing interest from other countries makes Thailand a rather preferred destination for various companies engaged in agriculture, farming and livestock production
Thailand can be best described as a tropical nation, with humid climes for most of the year. The Southeast Asian nation has weather all through the year that’s well suited for the growth of crops, especially rice.
Rice is essential to the Thai economy. In 2007, the country produced 28mn tonnes of 636mn tonnes of rice produced globally. The same year, Thailand exported nine millions tonnes, following which the country earned the title The Rice Bowl of Asia.
Nearly 40 per cent of the land is dedicated to agriculture and there is a three per cent annual growth rate in that sector. In addition to rice, Thailand also grows sugarcane, corn, cassava, palm nuts, pineapples, mangoes and bananas.
The country is also a major producer of livestock products such as poultry, beef, dairy cattle as well as fish.
As part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Thailand is also a major trading partner with the EU, making it an attractive destination for European agriculture and livestock companies. Being a part of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) since 1993, Thailand and other members will constitute a single market by 2015.
At the show, all these factors will be addressed and Thailand will be projected as a significant player in the global agriculture sector. The 300-plus exhibitors that are expected at the three-day show will display tractors, tillers, harvesters, planters, cleaning, sorting and drying machines, and dairy and milking products. Industry leaders are also expected to address the growing concerns in the agriculture sector as a result of climate change, and the steps they could take to mitigate those effects.
