Thailand and Australia hold discussions on sustainable agriculture

The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on Wednesday held the 23rd meeting of the Thailand-Australia Joint Working Group on Agriculture in Bangkok.

The visiting delegation was led by the First Assistant Secretary of the Trade and International Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry.

The head of the Australian delegation's primary objective was to discuss the exchange of agricultural policies, particularly sustainable agricultural development approaches in both countries, and expand academic cooperation in various fields.

Sustainable Development Goals were a key focus of the discussion, the ministry said.

Thailand presented an overview of sustainable agriculture activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and regional-level agricultural sustainability cooperation projects in Thailand, the ministry said.

This information exchange was considered highly beneficial as sustainable agriculture is a global concern. It addresses challenges related to food security, environmental degradation, and climate change, among others. It would be a great opportunity for both parties to collaborate on future sustainable agricultural initiatives, including capacity building, knowledge exchange, research, and development, according to Chaiya Phromma, deputy agriculture and cooperatives minister.

Australia is Thailand's 10th largest trading partner in terms of the value of agricultural goods traded, totalling 70.07 billion baht in 2022.

Thailand exported 35.81 billion baht in agricultural goods to Australia and imported 34.25 billion baht in agricultural goods from Australia.