Bangkok: The Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) celebrated its 11th anniversary and announced its commitment to upgrading the Thai rubber industry to green standards, driven by innovation and sustainable rubber plantation development. This aligns with global trade regulations and prepares the organization to cope with the El Ni±o phenomenon in order to maintain production stability and build price confidence for rubber farmers.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Winairoj Sapsongsuk, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, acting as the Chairman of RAOT, presided over the opening ceremony at the RAOT headquarters in Bangkok. The event was held under the theme "RAOT Smart Green Global - Driven by Innovation, Creating Green Rubber Plantations for the Global Stage."
Mr. Winaroj highlighted RAOT's focus on improving the quality of life for over 1.5 million rubber farming households across more than 20 million rai of rubber plantations. The primary rubber business currently generates over 200 billion baht annually in economic value. RAOT aims to upgrade Thai rubber standards to align with international standards and environmental conservation through the promotion of information technology and innovation. This includes preparing farmers for changing global trade conditions, such as the European Union's Deforestation-Free Regulations (EUDR), carbon footprint calculation, and carbon credit management, to sustainably enhance Thai rubber's competitiveness in the global market. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has tasked RAOT with preparing for the El Ni±o phenomenon by focusing on developing soil structure to retain moisture and collaborating with various departments to mitigate the impact on farmers and maintain production stability.
Mr. Winaroj further mentioned that Mr. Suriya Jungrungruangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, has directed RAOT to continuously advance the development of the Thai rubber industry. This aims to maintain Thailand's leadership in global rubber production and promote rubber as a key agricultural product that generates income and stability for farmers and businesses across the supply chain sustainably.
On this occasion, Mr. Sommai Suwanwong, Deputy Managing Director of the Marketing and Sales Division of MCOT Public Company Limited, congratulated Mr. Kosol Boonkong, Acting Governor of RAOT, and presented a donation to support charitable and public benefit activities of RAOT.