Over 400 audiences participated in Thai - Dutch Agriculture & Food Forum 2018 in Bangkok
“Economically Thailand and the Netherlands have a mutual interest in remaining close allies in a variety of sectors. Towards the equal commercial partners, both The Netherlands and Thailand we are the world players in the export of agricultural & food products and leading producers of vegetables, fruits, horticulture & livestock” Michiel van Erkel, Director International Agrobusiness, The Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality said at the official opening ceremony of the Thai – The Netherlands Agriculture and Food Forum 2018.
The Forum was jointly organized by Kasetsart University (www.ku.ac.th), Department of Agriculture, Thailand (www.doa.go.th) and the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok, on 28-29 March. The Forum highlighted 4 topics; Precision Agriculture, Seed Innovation, Greenhouse Agriculture and Post-Harvest Technology. The Dutch Expert Delegation was from Wageningen UR (www.wageningenur.nl) ; Netherlands Space Office (www.spaceoffice.nl) : East West Seed Group (www.eastwestseed.com) ; Agriterra (www.agriterra.org) ; Agri Solutions Asia (www.datt.asia) and HAS University of Applied Science (www.has.nl/en). The Forum provided a platform to share knowledge and experiences between Thailand and The Netherlands , as well as enthusiasm to strengthen Thai – Dutch business & innovation connection in modern and sustainable agriculture and food industry. With more than 400 participants, the forum was widely attended by key stakeholders in agri & food sector of Thailand such as policy makers from Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and other governmental agencies, researchers from Universities, growers and business operators.
Thai - Dutch relations exists for four centuries and the bonds are strong. The friendship has evolved throughout this era from the establishment of a trading center in 1604 to being equal commercial partners. We are both coastal states with strategic locations, making us regional hubs in terms of transport and logistics. In the areas of water management and agriculture the Netherlands has world renowned expertise to share. As we all realize the climate is changing and the world population is increasing. We are facing the urgency for modernisation of the agricultural sector and food value chain development under the limited land and resources. Technology and innovation in international cooperation is crucial to meet these challenges. More than half of the country's land area is used for agriculture. The most productive soil comes from reclaimed polders to increase its arable production of barley, potatoes, sugar beets and wheat. The Netherlands is the world number one tomato producer. During the past three decades the Netherlands has literally championed global tomato production by using vast greenhouses and cutting-edge technology to step up production. Some 80 different species are seeded using technology & innovation to ensure the seeds aren’t damaged as they are being planted" said Michiel.
