Indonesia, major market for Thai food exports

BANGKOK, August 3 (TNA) - The National Food Institute (NFI) has suggested that Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, has remained a major market for Thai food exports in the region. The NFI's Food Intelligence Centre reported Friday that Thai food exports to Indonesia, which is the largest market in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), had soared by 22.45 per cent annually on average from 2010-2011, while Thailand's imports of food products from the ASEAN neighbour had grown by 6.43 per cent annually on average during the same period. The NFI said that from January-April 2012, Thai food exports to Indonesia reached 22.56 billion baht, a 14.07 per cent year-on-year increase; while Thailand's imports of food produce from the Indonesian market during the first four months of this year stood up 6.88 billion baht, a 31.09 per cent year-on-year surge. According to the NFI, the Indonesian economy now grows by as high as some 6.1 per cent annually, with most or 85.2 of its total 243 million population being Muslims, appears to remain a promising export market for Thai food products, especially halal food. Besides, figures released by the US Agriculture Department in 2010 showed that Indonesian consumers spent on ready-to-eat food and beverage most, or some 23 per cent out of their total spending, followed by grains (19 per cent), fruits and vegetables (13 per cent), seafood (8 per cent), eggs and milk (6 per cent) and others. The NFI acknowledged that Indonesian people normally spend on food products up to half of their total spending monthly; while overall food supply remains insufficient, resulting in Indonesia's having to import food products from overseas markets, including meat, wheat, milk, as well as fruits and vegetables, which should be a good opportunity for Thai food exporters. (TNA)