MOF organizes orchid fair to boost exports

BANGKOK, October 25 (TNA) - The Marketing Organization for Farmers (MOF) organizes an orchid fair in Bangkok from October 25-28, 2012 to promote Thai orchids, farm and processed agricultural products. MOF Director Thanespol Thanabunyawat told journalists Thursday that the fair consists of two parts, one is an exhibition in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and the other is the sales of quality orchids, farm and processed products from all Thai regions. Thanespol said that the first part of the four-day event presents the Queen Sirikit Cattleya orchid, agricultural knowledge and innovations, including household hydroponic gardening, the processing of farm products, knowledge about orchid growing and demonstration on orchid virus testing with test kits; while the other sale part houses about 140 booths of quality products, including those of silk, wickerwork and wellknown food. The MOF chief revealed that there are also free training sessions by experts who share their agricultural knowledge and techniques, including simplified hydroponic gardening, tray gardening, orchid growing and the making of fruit salad sauce and fruit jelly, as well as entertaining performances and giveaway agriculture-related trips to the Doi Ang Khang Royal Project in Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North. According to the MOF chief, the fair is aimed at raising the values of Thai quality agricultural products, further developing the products to meet world market demand, promoting the Siam Orchid Center and educating people on the management of farm products, orchid and ornamental plant businesses. Thai orchids are beautiful and have earned the country substantial incomes. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of tropical orchids and the second biggest exporter of orchids in general after Taiwan. (TNA)