CNI News
26 March 2024
Thailand was to ban importing corn from its neighboring countries including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar from January to April 2025 in order to solve the problem of cross-border smog due to air pollution that was taking place in Thailand, said Thai PM.
Although the Thai government is planning to close importing corn, livestock industries and food processing industries using corn in Thailand might find it difficult and whether these industries could accept or not must be discussed.
So, there would be no worry about the corn industry in Myanmar, said Myanmar corn traders.
Because the Thai government has announced that it would close importing corn only in 2025, corn farmers would have enough time to prepare to grow corn or other crops, U Thant Zin Tun, vice chairman of the Myanmar Corn Industrial Association, told CNI News.
While preparations are being made to export corn by sea
"Smoke dust and dust spread in the air. Instead of the type of chicken currently being raised, they might think about breeding other types of chickens that are not fed corn. However, there are businesses and food processing factories relating to corn in Thailand. It will be necessary to have a broad discussion regarding whether they will accept or not. We don't have to worry so much about it. Because Thailand doesn't buy our corn, even though we find it difficult to sell others, corn is not a perennial plant. It's a kind of crop that is grown every four months. We can change to other crops such as bean and oilseeds or potato, chilli and onion. We can choose. We have a lot of time to make preparations." he said.
The Thai government made a decision to suspend importing corn so as to reduce the annual smog problem that arose from setting fire at farmlands in neighboring countries including Myanmar, reported Thai news agencies.
The Thai government had discussed with ministers concerned from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to reduce importing corn, said the Thai PM on 16th March, 2024.
The Myanmar government has allowed corn exporters to export corn with tax exemption from February to August. So, they could not implement it in time for this year's corn season and it would be convenient only in the coming season, Ko Sai Kham, a corn trader from Tachileik, told CNI News.
" Thailand has allowed imports of corn for this year's season. They will close next year. If China continues this way, it won't be easy to export Myanmar corn." he said.
If Thailand banned importing corn from January to April only, although the damage may be less, if the ban took long, corn export might be adversely affected, said corn traders.
