Thailand's vegetarian food market grows 10% annually

BANGKOK, September 6 (TNA) - The vegetarian food market in Thailand has kept expanding by 10 per cent annually on an average, according to Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, the country’s largest agro-industrial conglomerate. Yuthasak Poomsurakul, Vice President of CP All PCL, told reporters that the vegetarian food market in Thailand is now worth up to 42 billion baht and the total sale of vegetarian food in the country has also continued growing by approximately 6.2 per cent annually. Yuthasak said prices of vegetarian food have also been rising by 10 per cent on average yearly and each consumer is expected to spend some 200 baht each for vegetarian meals a day. Yuthasak acknowledged the number of Thai vegans has continued expanding, particularly those aged from 25-45 years, thanks to the availability of ready-to-eat vegetarian meals at convenient stores. The vice president assessed that CP revenues from this year's sales of vegetarian food products during the upcoming vegetarian festival, from September 24-October 2, should reach 600 million baht, up by 20 per cent from last year. (TNA)