CP chairman notes opportunities for agriculture industry

Dhanin Chearavanont of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) said the industry could gain positive sentiment from rising global demand for herbs amid the trend of food as medicine. He asked the government to support herb cultivation in terms of quality and safety.

He said he also witnessed opportunities in the bean business as an alternative source of protein, saying that Thailand could take some time on the development of cultured meat due to high production costs.

Dhanin said he wants to promote durians as the main agricultural product to generate a large sum of revenue for the country.

"Durians are popular among the over-1.4-billion population in China, but durian consumption in the country has dropped. So there is an opportunity to expand the market," he said.

He said Thailand has a variety of durian species, adding that they can be processed into many products, such as ice cream and sweets.

To achieve success, Thailand should develop high-quality durians that can tolerate various weather conditions, adopt an effective orchard management system and develop more processed products from durians with technology, he said.

He added that the government should support durian farmers in finance, technology and knowledge, as well as setting up a fund to mitigate risk from requesting loans from banks.

Dhanin believes that Thailand has an opportunity to develop high-value agricultural products like soybeans, saying that plant genome editing can help reduce pesticides, boost crop yield and improve product quality.

He said CP has witnessed an opportunity to provide ready-to-eat meals for treating patients who suffer from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

He added that these foods should be tasty, rich in nutrition and suitable for each group of patients.

"CP believes that food as medicine has high growth potential as the number of NCD patients in Thailand is high, and they need foods that are suitable for each individual," he said.

However, he noted that the development of food as medicine needs collaboration from the government and private sector to ensure food efficiency and safety, along with meeting patients' demands.

Dhanin went on to say that Thailand should invest in the development of a water irrigation system, confirming that water is an important factor in economic development in the long term.

"Water nurtures agriculture, which is an important sector of the Thai economy," he said, adding that an effective irrigation system can boost crop yield and farmers' income, and is crucial for building food security.

To develop Thailand's irrigation system further, he advised the government to educate human resources, attract foreign experts, and support research and development of such systems.

"I believe that the government has a commitment to drive Thailand towards prosperity along with improving citizens' quality of life," he said.

"Investment in water irrigation systems and human-resource development will be the key to achieving that goal."