Thailand, Brunei may jointly produce halal food

BANGKOK, May 22 (TNA) - Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has proposed that Thailand and Brunei use their strengths to promote each other’s halal food industry. When holding talks in Bangkok Tuesday with Brunei's Industry and Primary Resources Minister Pehin Yahya, who is visiting Thailand from May 20-25, Surapong said that Thailand is good at farm products and halal science; while Brunei wants to develop a center of halal industry and promote halal standard; so, he has proposed that both countries join forces and Brunei can also use Thailand as a base of its export-oriented production. The Thai foreign minister also praised Brunei's policy on keeping on agricultural development, offering that Thailand could share expertise in agriculture, including rice cultivation, fishery and chicken farming, with Brunei; while he hopes that Brunei will, in the meantime, import more Thai fragrant rice, which is popular among Brunei people. The visiting Brunei minister acknowledged that Brunei has tried to promote the production of its indigenous rice strain, called “Laila”, but Brunei consumers like the Thai fragrant rice very much; so Brunei still demands fragrant rice from Thailand and want to learn rice cultivation technology and processed rice production from Thailand as well. The visiting Brunei minister is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the World of Halal 2012 fair at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center (BITEC) on May 23. Brunei is now Thailand's 9th most important trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the value of two-way trade between Thailand and Brunei estimated at 269 million US dollars or 8.15 billion baht last year. Major Thai exports to Brunei include rice, transformers and parts, cement, ceramics, rubber products and paper; while major imported products from Brunei include steel products. (TNA)