BANGKOK, 20 June 2013, The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is holding a series of Thai silk competitions in its bid to encourage quality improvement of silk materials and promote local wisdoms.
The competitions are divided into 3 categories classified by the types of silk: native silk cloth, Royal Peacock standards, and products made from silk and mulberry.
The competition was announced by Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prasarnpong Wongyai. It follows Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s initiative that a competition should be held every year to stimulate locals’ efforts to improve the quality of their products to meet the market’s demand.
According to Mr Prasarnpong, the competition is also a way to promote local wisdoms and generate income to rural farmers, thus resulting in an economic expansion of the community.
Mr Prasarnpong said further that due to the delicate and unique characteristics of Thai silk, the fabric is in constant demand in the international market.
The Queen Sirikit Department of Sericulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has been entrusted to hold the competition of Thai silk on an annual basis. This year, the competition will be broken down into 36 sub-contests ranging from provincial to regional levels. Winning pieces will be submitted for the national competition to be held on June 28 at Kasetsart University in Bangkok.
All winning entries will be put on display at the annual sericulture fair under the Royal Peacock logo in August.
