InfoQuest (Sept. 13, 2019) -- Mr. Chalermchai Sri-on, Minister of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand (MOAC), said after meeting with Mr. Damien O’Connor, Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Export of New Zealand, who had attended the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), that Thailand and New Zealand would sign an agreement on agricultural products and food in November this year, and if so there were obstacles to agricultural cooperation between them, New Zealand was willing to provide support and help, and this meeting would also be the beginning of the continued expansion of cooperation between the two ministries of agriculture.
According to Mr. Chalermchai, New Zealand is a country attaching great importance to Food Safety and the development of Sustainable Agriculture. However, it faces problems such as high costs of agricultural products. New Zealand hoped to establish partnerships with the Thai government and the agricultural sector, to exchange experience in agricultural safety and risk management, and to provide high-quality agricultural products to the world. New Zealand emphasized that trade barriers would be reduced, especially for ASEAN countries. MOAC fully agreed with the New Zealand Government’s safe agricultural policy, for it was one of the important policies to encourage farmers in producing safe and standard agricultural products.
“Reducing international competition is beneficial to both sides. Thailand and New Zealand must deepen our cooperation. We hope that after the meeting today, the two sides can cooperate closely and effectively. Thailand is willing to cooperate with New Zealand in various fields, especially in promoting good cooperation in trade, agricultural academia and to achieve satisfactory results,” Mr. Chalermchai said.
In addition, Mr. Alongkorn Ponlabut, Minister Adviser of MOAC, inquired about the progress of New Zealand’s opening of asparagus and catfish markets to Thailand. The New Zealand side expressed its willingness to open these markets to Thailand without any domestic objections, but they still needed to wait for scientific review results. As a deeply open and transparent market, New Zealand would inform the Thai side immediately after the results came out.
Other issues of mutual interest included the exchange of agricultural knowledge between government agencies and relevant personnel in agricultural sectors. In the past, New Zealand had been providing funds in education, training and research to Thailand, such as the exchange and learning program of cow management experts between Thailand and New Zealand. In the near future, New Zealand is planning to provide training funds for staffs of MOAC.
Source: InfoQuest, by Tanawat Suayaem / Kasamarporn, translated by Xinhua Silk Road.
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