Thailand upgrades quality of community products

BANGKOK, March 26 (TNA) - Thailand is applying science and technologies to upgrade the quality of local community-based products under the government-supported One Tambon One product (OTOP) Programme, aimed to boost their sale value to reach one hundred billion baht by early next year, from 93 billion baht currently. To meet the goal, a workshop on the development of potential of local OTOP producers in terms of quality control, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Interior's Community Development Department and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) at Thailand Science Park in Bangkok's adjacent Pathum Thani Province on Wednesday, in which over 150 OTOP food producers from across the country participated. The participants were expected to learn on knowledge and technologies transferred by the NSTDA so that they would apply for upgrading their community products to higher-end, from 1-2 stars-levels currently. The move was part of Thailand's preparations for the establishment of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. Community Development Department Director-General Kwanchai Wongnitikorn and Deputy Director of the NSTDA’s Technology Management Centre Ketwarong Hongladaromp told journalists that NSTDA personnel will provide advice and assistance for local OTOP producers, covering how to use innovative technology for their production and marketing planning. (TNA)