China Signs Deal to Buy Latex Pillows

BANGKOK, Nov 26 (TNA) -- A Chinese business firm has signed an agreement to buy more than 10,000 handmade latex pillows from Thailand with first deliveries to be made in December 10. Narongsak Jaisamut, the director of the northern branch of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAT) along with representatives from the Rubber Farmers' Cooperative today met with the representative of JD Central based in the Xishuangbanna Autonomous Region of Yunnan Province in China to sign an agreement to buy health beneficial handmade latex pillows from more than 30 groups of Thai farmers. An initial agreement for JD Central to buy more than 10,000 handmade latex pillows a month from more than 30 rubber groups was secured and first deliveries are to be completed by December 10. Mr Narongsak revealed that currently 1.2 million rai (0.47 million acres) of northern region were planted with more than 200,000 rubber trees. Rubber farmers all over the country were fairing badly due to the global slump in prices. As a consequence of this, the RAT had initiated a program for famers to make alternative use of rubber supplies to create new products such as handmade latex pillows which are extremely beneficial to health. This has allowed them to earn on average Bt200 per pillow. The successful procurement of the Chinese contract is a major coup for the RAT but only one of the avenues being looked at by the RAT to help rubber farmers. If everything goes to plan, more orders for latex pillows will be received from China. (TNA)