BANGKOK, Feb 19 – Thailand’s Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) reported that the permanent border crossing operations at Ban Pu Nam Ron village and Three Pagodas border pass in Kanchanaburi province created trade in farm products worth nearly Bt500 million.
Tawatchai Prayoonsin, director of the 10th OAE branch based in Ratchaburi province, said that after the opening of the Ban Pu Nam Ron border crossing on June 12, 2013, to promote business and tourism in addition to the Three Pagodas border crossing, the export of Thai farm products through both channels was estimated at Bt450 million.
Key exports there include dietary supplements, milk, alcoholic drinks, seasonings, palm oil, teak seedlings, farm machines, live pigs and fertilizers. Most exports are consumer products because Myanmar’s manufacturing of such products is still insufficient for local consumption.
Thai products are popular among Myanmar consumers for their quality.
The import of agricultural products through the border crossings is estimated at Bt57 million.
Key imports include live cattle, bamboo, seafood, sawdust, ornamental fish and black sesame.
The value of live cattle imported has grown 18 per cent annually there in the past five years from Bt25 million in 2010 to Bt45 million last year as Myanmar cattle are cheaper than local cattle.
Seafood importing has risen since the opening of the Ban Pu Nam Ron border crossing as Myanmar is an abundant source of seafood and Thailand can import it to make processed products for export.
