Thailand to continue reducing hunger

BANGKOK, November 27 (TNA) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives says Thailand will maintain a policy on reducing hunger and the loss of food nationwide. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Chalit Damrongsak announced the national position on Wednesday, while opening a seminar in Bangkok entitled, "Food Security and Safety toward Food Sustainability for Good Public Health", marking the World Food Day 2013. Chalit acknowledged that Thailand is one of the world's food producing sources to serve global population, focused on food safety and increased food output, resulting in a drop of hunger in the Kingdom by 7.3 per cent of the total population in 2013 and an honourable award received from the UN Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the senior official, Thailand will, therefore, continue reducing hunger in the country this year with an increased rate, in parallel with addressing food loss from its production at farmlands to consumers. FAO statistics show that there has been a 30 per cent loss in Thailand's food consumption, implying that the country's food loss can be as high as 1,300 tons daily if the Thai population each left one seed of rice on their plates. The senior official pointed out if the problem of food loss was resolved, Thailand could have more food to serve the global population.(TNA)