Lower animal feed costs under FTAs make Thai livestock exports more competitive
By Jon Fernquest
Businesses
in Thailand are slowly but
surely
learning what the effect of the new free trade
agreements
starting this year mean in terms of business lost or business gained
(Read overview).Livestock provides a good example of losing in one area of trade while gaining in others.
Imports of soybean and maize can enter the country more freely now which means that animal feed is cheaper.
This means that while soybean and maize cultivators may lose out, Thai livestock is cheaper to raise and thus can be sold on international export markets for a lower price thus making Thailand more competitive.
Today's article follows the vocabulary:
livestock - animals
such as cows or sheep raised for food, fiber or use as labour, not
birds or poultry (See Wikipedia)
slowly but surely - meaning: it will happen for sure, so don't worry, but it will happen slowly, so be patient
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) - an agreement between a group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
soybean - the vegetable that contains the highest levels of protein, used in many foods and by vegetarians as a replacement for animal protein (See Wikipedia)
maize - corn
animal feed - food for animals
cultivators - farmers who grow plants as crops
competitive (adjective) - when a company's (or country's) products are higher quality or cheaper than other companies (or countries) which attracts customers
slowly but surely - meaning: it will happen for sure, so don't worry, but it will happen slowly, so be patient
Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) - an agreement between a group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
soybean - the vegetable that contains the highest levels of protein, used in many foods and by vegetarians as a replacement for animal protein (See Wikipedia)
maize - corn
animal feed - food for animals
cultivators - farmers who grow plants as crops
competitive (adjective) - when a company's (or country's) products are higher quality or cheaper than other companies (or countries) which attracts customers
Economics
AGRICULTURE
Afta helps livestock exports
29/01/2010Thailand's livestock exports are expected to rise by 5% to 10% this year, thanks to unlimited import quotas and zero import tariffs on feed meal under the expanded Asean Free Trade Area agreement
The abolition of limits on imports of soybeans and maize, the main ingredients in animal feed, enables producers to manage costs and improve their competitiveness, said Pornsil Patcharintanakul, president of the Thai Feed Mill Association
import
- to buy or bring in products from another country นำเข้า
import quotas - limits on the amount of a kind of good that can be imported into the country (example: textile quota)
import tariffs - taxes that must be paid on imports into a country
abolition of limits - ending limits (on imports)
maize - a tall plant grown in many parts of the world for its yellow seeds which are eaten as food, made into flour or fed to animals ข้าวโพด
ingredients - foods that are used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish ส่วนประกอบ
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitiveness (noun) - noun form of "competitive" above
import quotas - limits on the amount of a kind of good that can be imported into the country (example: textile quota)
import tariffs - taxes that must be paid on imports into a country
abolition of limits - ending limits (on imports)
maize - a tall plant grown in many parts of the world for its yellow seeds which are eaten as food, made into flour or fed to animals ข้าวโพด
ingredients - foods that are used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish ส่วนประกอบ
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitiveness (noun) - noun form of "competitive" above
Exports of livestock products, including chicken, pork, beef and fishery products, will reach 150 billion baht this year, an increase of 5% to 10% on the previous year, he said.
Maize will average between 8 baht and 8.5 baht per kilogramme for the entire year.
No supply shortage is expected as manufacturers can freely import maize from neighbouring countries, said the association president.
fishery
- an area of water where fish are caught so they can be sold
พื้นที่ในการจับปลา
an increase on the previous year - the amount this year is greater than the amount last year
shortage - when there is not enough of something การขาดแคลน
an increase on the previous year - the amount this year is greater than the amount last year
shortage - when there is not enough of something การขาดแคลน
Increased soybean supply from Brazil this year will bring down soybean prices, said vice-president Nopporn Vayuchote.
Soybean output from Brazil, one of the world's largest soybean producers, is forecast to rise to 120 million tonnes this year, up from 100 million tonnes last year. The increase is expected to bring down market prices to about 13 to 15 baht per kg, from an average of 16 to 18 baht in 2009.
The association estimates that the growing local livestock industry will consume about 5 million tonnes of maize and 3.1 million tonnes of soybean meal this year, up from 4.7 million tonnes of maize and 2.9 million tonnes soybean meal last year.
soybean - the
vegetable that contains the highest levels of protein, used in many
foods and by vegetarians as a replacement for animal protein (See Wikipedia)
meal - a rough powder made of crushed grain
output - the amount of something produced ปริมาณ(กระแสไฟฟ้า)ที่ผลิตขึ้น
forecast - a statement about what will happen in the future based on information available now พยากรณ์
estimates - guesses of what the size, value, amount, cost, etc. of something might be การประมาณค่า
local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
consume - to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
meal - a rough powder made of crushed grain
output - the amount of something produced ปริมาณ(กระแสไฟฟ้า)ที่ผลิตขึ้น
forecast - a statement about what will happen in the future based on information available now พยากรณ์
estimates - guesses of what the size, value, amount, cost, etc. of something might be การประมาณค่า
local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
consume - to use a supply of something ใช้จนหมดไป
There is also strong demand for maize from the alternative fuel industry, but livestock producers may shift to either tapioca pellets or broken rice as alternative sources of carbohydrate
The Thai Tapioca Trade Association forecasts demand for 29 million tonnes of cassava in 2010. The association expects 11 million tonnes to be made into chips and pellets for export and domestic use, largely in the livestock industry. About 15 million tonnes will supply flour and starch businesses, with about 2 million tonnes destined for the ethanol industry
alternative
- something that is different from something else,
especially from what is usual, and offering the possibility of choice
ทางเลือก
fuel - a substance such as oil or coal that is burned to provide energy, power or heat
shift - to change; to move from one place or thing to another เคลื่อนย้าย
pellets - some material shaped into a small ball for sale and distribution (example: pet food typically is sold in the form of pellets)
carbohydrate - a sugar or starch (cellulose too) that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant (See Wikipedia)
domestic - relating to a person's own country ภายในประเทศ
fuel - a substance such as oil or coal that is burned to provide energy, power or heat
shift - to change; to move from one place or thing to another เคลื่อนย้าย
pellets - some material shaped into a small ball for sale and distribution (example: pet food typically is sold in the form of pellets)
carbohydrate - a sugar or starch (cellulose too) that is a food source of energy for an animal or plant (See Wikipedia)
domestic - relating to a person's own country ภายในประเทศ
But Seri Denworalak, president of the Thai Tapioca Trade Association, was concerned that production could plunge to 22 million tonnes, down from a previous harvest of 30 million tonnes, due to mealybug infestation
But he expects the government to unload tapioca from the state stockpile of more than 5 million tonnes to minimise the impact from lower supply.
concerned
- worried about something มีความกังวล
plunge - to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down or into something ลดลงอย่างเร็ว (เช่น ราคา, อุณหภูมิ)
plunge - to fall quickly from a high position ดิ่งลงมาจากท้องฟ้า
harvest - gather in ripe crops เก็บเกี่ยว
due to - because of
infestation - when insects come in large numbers and do damage to crops
mealybug infestation - An insect that in large numbers can eat and do damage to crops of "citrus, sugarcane, grapes, pineapple, coffee trees, cassava, ferns, cacti, gardenias and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites." (See Wikipedia)
unload tapioca - sell tapioca
state - government รัฐบาล
stockpile - a large collection of things that may be needed คลังสินค้า
minimise - to reduce something harmful or unpleasant to the smallest amount or degree ลดจำนวนลง
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
plunge - to (cause someone or something to) move or fall suddenly and often a long way forward, down or into something ลดลงอย่างเร็ว (เช่น ราคา, อุณหภูมิ)
plunge - to fall quickly from a high position ดิ่งลงมาจากท้องฟ้า
harvest - gather in ripe crops เก็บเกี่ยว
due to - because of
infestation - when insects come in large numbers and do damage to crops
mealybug infestation - An insect that in large numbers can eat and do damage to crops of "citrus, sugarcane, grapes, pineapple, coffee trees, cassava, ferns, cacti, gardenias and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites." (See Wikipedia)
unload tapioca - sell tapioca
state - government รัฐบาล
stockpile - a large collection of things that may be needed คลังสินค้า
minimise - to reduce something harmful or unpleasant to the smallest amount or degree ลดจำนวนลง
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
(Source: Bangkok Post, AGRICULTURE, Afta helps livestock exports, 29/01/2010, link)
