Agricultural machine makers eye 10% growth

Agricultural machinery manufacturers have targeted 10 per cent sales growth this year to achieve total sales of Bt220 billion.
Patcharin Posirisuk, chairman of the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Industry Club under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said that businesses in this group had posted total sales of Bt200 billion as of now, of which 70 per cent was domestic sales and the rest being exported.
She added that the industry was expected to post sales growth of 10 per cent this year to Bt220 billion. 
“However, in the future the proportion of local and overseas sales will see a change. Sales contribution from exports will decline as some Thai manufacturers have relocated their production plants to neighbouring countries, such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, in order to further expand their international presence,” she added.
As of now, more than 10 manufacturers have established production plants overseas. Their supply chains have also followed them to their overseas destinations. 

Assistance for SMEs
The Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Industry Club has joined hands with the Industry Ministry to develop agricultural capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to support the agricultural SMEs in the villages, which are still using conventional agricultural tools. 
The club members will offer supฌport to these SMEs taking into account their skill levels. The SMEs, which will be given help by the club members, will have to join forces and purchase machinery that were the right fit for their farming areas.
The partnership between the club and the Industry Ministry will focus on helping these SMEs to upgrade their method of production through mechanisation and then to adopt digital technology and automation technology, such as such as the soil-sensoring system and the use of drones to monitor the crops and analyse soil quality
The club now has around 160 members, who account for 80 per cent of total agricultural machinery production in Thailand.