Laos-China railway may help Chumphon cash in on its potential
The Laos-China railway will offer Thailand more opportunities and help Chumphon become an export hub very soon, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, adviser to the minister of agriculture and cooperatives, said on Sunday.
He was in Chumphon on behalf of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sreeon to release 1.5 million giant freshwater prawns and other marine life into a canal in Muang district.
The aim of the ceremony is to help fishermen and locals affected by Covid-19 as well as repopulate the waters.
At the event, Alongkorn said the 3-billion-baht irrigation system and flood-prevention project in Chumphon had made good progress and would be completed by 2024.
He also pointed out that Chumphon province has great potential, especially since its per capita income at 200,000 baht per person is among the top 20 in the country.
He added that the minister is working towards boosting Chumphon’s gross provincial product (GPP) to 100 billion baht this year, with the agricultural sector being the key driver.
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Apart from key cash crops like durian, oil palm, rubber, coconut and coffee, Chumphon’s economy will also benefit from the tourism sector, he said.
Meanwhile, Chalermchai’s plan is to develop Chumphon’s economy from three aspects, namely:
- Turning the province into a fruit hub in the South. Alongkorn said Thailand’s fruit exports had surged in the first 11 months of 2021, hitting an all-time high at 150 billion baht. Last year was also the first time that 100 billion baht worth of durians had been exported. Chumphon is the second largest supplier of fruit in Thailand.
- Turning Chumphon into a hub for Robusta coffee. The minister aims to develop the coffee industry in Chumphon along the lines of the Arabica coffee project applied in the North.
- Turning Chumphon into a gateway to the South. The province has ports connecting the mainland to islands in the Gulf of Thailand and can serve as a kick-off point for divers. Alongkorn advised the province to prepare for an influx of travellers once the Covid-19 situation improves.
