Despite the gloomy prospects for exports, shipments of Thai food are expected to manage growth of 3% this year, driven by rising demand worldwide and Thai food quality.
Thailand's ability to contain the outbreak has also built consumer confidence in Thai food safety standards, said Visit Limlurcha, president of the Thai Food Processors Association, at the 30th edition of Thaifex-Anuga Asia, held during Sept 22-26.
"The outbreak and global economic slowdown led many export sectors to predict a dip of 30-40% this year, but we are quite bullish that food exports will grow by 3% from 1.25 trillion baht in 2019," said Mr Visit.
There is rising demand worldwide for essential products, especially food, and Thai food manufacturers and exporters should adjust their production lines to produce food in miniature and single-serve packs with affordable prices in lieu of big volumes in bulky packaging, he said.
Production should focus more on food safety and virus protection and prevention to cater to health-conscious consumers.
Mr Visit said Thai food exporters still have to brave a slew of risk factors including volatile foreign exchange, drought and a possible second wave of Covid-19.
"We expect countries not struggling to contain a second wave will organise celebrations during the New Year festival, driving demand for food during the remainder of the year," he said.
In addition to miniature and single-serve packs, the outlook is promising for ready-to-eat food and items without added sweeteners, salt and oil, said Mr Visit.
At the same event, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said this is the first time Thailand organised a hybrid international trade exhibition, with the real exhibition at Impact Muang Thong Thani and the virtual trade show complete with business matching online.
Thaifex 2020 has 708 Thai companies and 189 companies from 12 countries participating.
Last year Thai food exports dropped 3.8% in baht terms to 1.03 trillion baht, but rose 0.2% in dollar terms to $33.1 billion, while food imports amounted to 401 billion baht, down 0.1%.
Items that registered decline were rice, which fell 22%, sugar (-13.7%), canned tuna (-6%), shrimp (-9.2%) and pineapple (-15.7%).
The drop in the value of food exports was attributed to weak global demand, the strengthening baht and declining world food prices.
Global food trade last year amounted to $1.3 trillion, down 0.6%. Thailand's food exports accounted for 2.5% of world food trade.
Thailand is one of the world's leading food exporters, with rice making up the largest share at 17.5%, followed by chicken, sugar, processed tuna, tapioca flour and shrimp.