Thai Coconut Industry Seeks Support to Safeguard 30B Baht Exports

Matichon•Economy•1d ago

Reader Briefing

The Thai coconut industry is urging the government to address concerns about the use of monkeys in harvesting to protect its significant export market.

•The Thai Coconut Industry Association has sent an open letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce outlining 8 key issues.
•Concerns stem from allegations of animal welfare violations related to monkey labor in coconut harvesting, leading to bans in major international markets.
•The industry, valued at over 30 billion baht annually, faces potential permanent market share loss if these issues are not resolved.

Overview

•On May 29, the Thai Coconut Industry Association sent an open letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce.
•The Thai coconut industry is facing significant challenges due to allegations of animal welfare violations in its harvesting processes, specifically the use of monkeys.
•These allegations have led to export bans in key markets like the US, EU, and UK, severely impacting the industry's image and economy.
•Thailand is the world's leading exporter of coconut milk and coconut water, with an annual export value exceeding 30,000 million baht.
•The issue affects over 400,000 households of farmers and entrepreneurs, with an estimated loss of over 3,000 million baht annually due to lost market opportunities.
•The association warns of permanent market share loss to competitors if the problems are not urgently addressed.
•The problem has been ongoing for 7 years, starting from 2020 (2020) until the present.
•The association has proposed 8 specific demands to the Ministry of Commerce, including diplomatic efforts, inter-ministerial task forces, strict law enforcement, and promoting sustainable practices.

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Key Quotes

Thai Coconut Industry Association

"The image of using monkeys to harvest coconuts is an act against ethics and animal welfare, significantly impacting the acceptance of Thai products in the international market."

ภาพการใช้ลิงในการเก็บมะพร้าวเป็นการกระทำที่ขัดต่อจริยธรรมและสวัสดิภาพสัตว์ และมีผลกระทบการยอมรับสินค้าของไทยในตลาดสากลอย่างมาก

Thai Coconut Industry Association

"Do not play with the image of monkeys harvesting coconuts, as it will become an issue again in countries importing Thai products."

อย่าเล่นภาพลิงเก็บมะพร้าว จะกลับมาเป็นประเด็นอีกครั้งในประเทศนำเข้าสินค้าจากไทยในขณะนี้

Key Entities

Person

Supachai Suthumphan(นางศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce who received a petition from the Thai Coconut Industry Association.

Organization

Thai Coconut Industry Association(สมาคมอุตสาหกรรมมะพร้าวไทย)

The organization representing Thai coconut entrepreneurs and farmers, advocating for solutions to export market issues.

Thai Coconut Industry Groups(กลุ่มอุตสาหกรรมมะพร้าวแห่งประเทศไทย)

A collective body of coconut producers and exporters seeking to address the animal welfare concerns impacting their trade.

PETAℹ️

An international animal welfare organization that has called for a boycott of Thai coconut products.

Place

United States(สหรัฐ)ℹ️

A major export market from which Thai coconut products have been banned due to animal welfare concerns.

European Union(สหภาพยุโรป)ℹ️

A key trading bloc that has imposed bans on Thai coconut products.

United Kingdom(สหราชอาณาจักร)ℹ️

A market that has banned Thai coconut products, contributing to the industry's export challenges.

Law

Wild Animal Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2019(พ.ร.บ.สงวนและคุ้มครองสัตว์ป่า พ.ศ. 2019)

The Thai legislation cited by the coconut industry association for strict enforcement against illegal monkey training and use.

Policy

GAP Monkey-Free Plus

An international standard the Thai coconut industry is pushing to adopt to certify their production processes are free from inappropriate monkey labor.