Opening of addition permanent border crossings boosts trade in Thai farm products

BANGKOK, February 18 (TNA) - The Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) has reported that border trade in farm products between Thailand and Myanmar has increased by nearly 500 million baht following the opening of permanent border crossings in Ban Pu Nam Ron village and the Three Pagodas border pass in Kanchanaburi province. Tawatchai Prayoonsin, director of the 10th OAE branch based in Ratchaburi province, said Wednesday that the export of Thai farm products through the two newly permanent border crossings was estimated at 449 million baht last year while the import of agricultural products was estimated at 57 million baht. The Ban Pu Nam Ron border crossing was opened in June 2013 to promote businesses and tourism in the face of the formation of ASEAN Community in 2015. Tawatchai said key exports through the two channels were dietary supplements, milk, alcoholic drinks, seasonings, palm oil, teak seedlings, farm machines, live pigs and fertilizers. Most exports were consumer products because Myanmar’s manufacturing of such products was still insufficient for local consumption. Thai products were popular among Myanmar consumers for their quality, he said. Tawatchai said key imports included live cattle, bamboo trunks, seafood, sawdust, ornamental fish and black sesame. He noted that the value of live cow import through the permanent border crossings had grown by 18 percent annually in the past five years from 25 million baht in 2010 to 45 million baht last year because Myanmar cows were cheaper than local cows. He said the import of seafood had risen since the opening of the Ban Pu Nam Ron border crossing as Myanmar was an abundant source of seafood and Thailand could import it to make processed products for export. (TNA)