Beijing: The Industry Ministry aims to support 10 Thai startups in selling organic products to the Chinese market.
The Industrial Promotion Department brought 10 startups to join the 22nd China International Organic & Green Food Industry Expo 2018 at China International Exhibition Center during April 4-10 in Beijing.
The showcase in 2017 attracted 1,200 domestic and international exhibitors from China, the US, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, Poland, Chile, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Spain, Iran and more than 40,000 professionals around the world.
Kobchai Sungsitthisawad, director-general of the department, said the government wants to support Thai startups to help them become more competitive overseas and promote locally made products.
Chinese like Thai-made products' quality and design, he said.
The China market has strong growth potential as people's purchasing power grows 9.4% per year while the demand for food products has surged by 8.8% per person per year because Chinese lifestyle and behaviour is becoming increasingly urban across all provinces.
Mr Kobchai said the country has roughly 1.3 billion people, so the department is confident Thai-made organic products will be successful once presented to Chinese buyers.
"We believe organic products from Thailand will be popular because of the healthy lifestyle trend among younger Chinese," he said.
Moreover, the department has supported and promoted many startups under the Bangkok Organic Industrial Network (BOIN), which was established last year under cooperation among organic businesses in Thailand. BOIN has 40 members.
"We want to push our startups to do business overseas because most of them are less competitive outside the country. It is our duty as a leader to connect them with business partners and foreign customers," said Mr Kobchai.
"In China, we expect Thai startups will find partners, though this is the first time the department has brought the startups here."
Siripat Meetubtim, BOIN's president, said Thai organic producers are also seeking new opportunities as China is the largest consumer market in the world.
"We hope Thai firms can deal with Chinese partners and export organic products," he said.
Mr Siripat said the organic products are targeted at niche consumers but they have high margins as the products meet consumers' aspirations for a healthy lifestyle.
Thai organic producers expect the government will add this segment to the industrial cluster and promote more organic products, he said.
The department has more than 80 cluster industries to be supported and promoted, such as auto parts, electronic parts, rice products, cans and cosmetics, said Mr Siripat.