Thailand's food industry show opens

As Thailand's premier food industry trade opens, the European economy is heading downwards together with Thai food exports to this lucrative market perhaps.

Photo above of the Thaifex food exhibition which opens this week in Bangkok. Some suggest it should be developed into a regional food exhibition.

Click button to listen to Thaifex Food Exhibition to download

Marketing

Euro woes weigh as Thaifex show opens

Processed food exports will likely take a hit
23/05/2012

Europe's ailing economy will have a significant impact on Thailand's exports of processed food if the crisis prolongs.

Thaifex, slated for this week, should be developed as a regional food exhibition, say some traders.

Local traders expect the problems in Europe, a market that accounts for 10% of total Thai exports, resulting in sales growth of prepared food slipping to 5%, far behind the 15% projected earlier.

"Thai exporters suffered critically from downturns during the US sub-prime crisis in 2008, which saw many shipment cancellations," said Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong, president of the Thai Food Processors' Association. "We're wondering if these [cancellations] would happen again from buyers in Europe." 

She said processed food - seafood, tuna, sweet corn, fruits and vegetables, canned pineapple, food ingredients - may fetch 173 billion baht, up from 165 billion last year.

The light growth is in line with overall exports for food including rice, sugar and chicken.

The National Food Institute expects the country will generate 1.01 trillion baht in income from all food exports, a 5.3% rise.

Ms Ghanyapad said the crisis could affect consumer confidence and cut spending on some food items.

In the first quarter, Thailand saw a slight drop of 1.6% in exports of processed seafood, fruits and vegetables.

"But the second half may see a bigger impact," said Ms Ghanyapad.

To alleviate the blow, she suggested food exporters invest to improve competitiveness and explore niche markets with innovative products.

Furthermore, they should focus on the Asean Economic Community (AEC), a market with 601 million people.

Ms Ghanyapad has also encouraged the government and private institutions to promote the Thaifex food exhibition cooperatively as a regional event in order to increase the profile of the Thai food industry internationally.

"Thaifex - World of Food Asia 2012 will be held at Impact Muang Thong Thani from today to Sunday.

"This will be our venue for marketing and image, preparing us for a bigger AEC market," said Ms Ghanyapad.

The International Trade Promotion Department, a co-organiser of the fair, said 1,073 local and foreign firms in food and related industries will join the event, which will open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

The exhibition is expected to draw 9,000 visitors and could spur the export of products later on.

Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the department's director-general, remains confident that export of frozen foods, seafood and processed food will continue to grow significantly this year regardless of the euro-zone crisis.

Exports of Thai seafood including raw and processed products will reach an estimated US$6.1 billion this year.

Sales of shrimp products are expected to rise by 3% to $3.6 billion.

Major export markets for seafood products include the US, Japan and the EU.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Marketing, Euro woes weigh as Thaifex show opens, Processed food exports will likely take a hit, 23/05/2012, Walailak Keeratipipatpong, link)

Food Industry Vocabulary

Thaifex - World of Food Asia 2012 - a big food show where people who work in the restaurant, hotel, food and beverage industries can go to see what products are for sale: "THAIFEX - World of Food Asia consists of 13 focused segments covering the entire food and beverage industry value chain. It will feature more than 1,000 exhibitors, once again marking Thailand as the top meeting place for global players of the food and beverage industry" (See Wikipedia)

food processing - the science of turning of raw ingredients such as harvested crops or butchered animal products into attractive, marketable and long shelf-life food products (See Wikipedia)

processed - treated in some way, e.g., treated with chemicals, cut, etc.
processed food - food that has been cut, treated with chemicals to preserve and packaged to sell in store

raw - not cooked; materials in their natural state before being processed or used in manufacturing
raw and processed products
frozen foods

woes - great problems or troubles ความเสียใจ, ความทุกข์ร้อน
weigh - to have an important effect of influence มีผลต่อ

Euro woes weigh as Thaifex show opens

take a hit - get hurt, suffer damage (here financial, lower profits)

Processed food exports will likely take a hit

ailing - 1. experiencing difficulty and problems; 2. ill and weak ป่วย ป่วยและอ่อนแรง
ailing economy

significant (adjective) - important สำคัญ
significantly (adverb) - in an important way อย่างสำคัญ

impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
significant impact

crisis - an urgent, difficult or dangerous situation วิกฤตการณ์ วิกฤต
prolong - make longer, make last longer than needed
crisis prolongs
crisis is prolonged

US sub-prime crisis in 2008
euro-zone crisis

Europe's ailing economy will have a significant impact on Thailand's exports of processed food if the crisis prolongs.

slated - scheduled for; will happen on
slated for this week - scheduled for this week; will happen this week

regional - for all the countries in the ASEAN region (not just Thailand)
exhibition - a public show displaying objects of interest (either commercial or artistic) นิทรรศการ, งานแสดง
a regional food exhibition

traders - people who buy and sell things

Thaifex, slated for this week, should be developed as a regional food exhibition, say some traders.

slipping - falling, decreasing
projected - people believed would happen in the future, predicted, forecast

Local traders expect the problems in Europe, a market that accounts for 10% of total Thai exports, resulting in sales growth of prepared food slipping to 5%, far behind the 15% projected earlier.

suffered - were hurt
suffered critically - were hurt very badly (maybe evento the point of business failure)

cancellations - การยกเลิก tourists changing their plans and telling the tour company or hotel they will not come, not travel to the country
shipment cancellations

"Thai exporters suffered critically from downturns during the US sub-prime crisis in 2008, which saw many shipment cancellations," said Ghanyapad Tantipipatpong, president of the Thai Food Processors' Association. "We're wondering if these [cancellations] would happen again from buyers in Europe." 

tuna - a species of fish that is popular all over the world as food, recently some tuna have been overfished and are at risk of extinction (See Wikipedia) ปลาทูน่า
ingredients - foods that are used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish ส่วนประกอบ

fetch - to be sold for a particular amount of money ขายในราคาหนึ่ง
in line with - agreeing with, following, matching, consistent with

generate - to produce ก่อให้เกิด create สร้าง กระตุ้นให้เิกิด
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
generate income - create income, make money

She said processed food - seafood, tuna, sweet corn, fruits and vegetables, canned pineapple, food ingredients - may fetch 173 billion baht, up from 165 billion last year. The light growth is in line with overall exports for food including rice, sugar and chicken.  The National Food Institute expects the country will generate 1.01 trillion baht in income from all food exports, a 5.3% rise.

consumer - someone who buys and uses goods and services ผู้บริโภค
confidence - the quality of being certain; feeling sure about something; trusting and believing in something ความมั่นใจ ความเชื่อมั่น
consumer confidence - families and individuals feel good about the economy in the future

first quarter - the first three months of the year

alleviate - solve a problem or make a problem less severe; make better, make a bad situation better
blow - an event that damages your chances of success สิ่งที่ทำให้เกิดความเสียหาย  
alleviate the blow - make people who were hurt better

improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitiveness - how well a business can do compared to other firms (does it have lower price or higher quality?) การแข่งขัน
improve competitiveness

niche - a small specialized area
niche markets - small markets selling specialized products (with only small groups of customers)
explore niche markets - try out small markets to see if they can make money selling products in these markets

innovative - new and original, unlike other things in the past ; using new methods or ideas เกี่ยวกับการปรับปรุงใหม่, ที่เต็มไปด้วยจิตใจปฏิรูปใหม่
innovative products.

focus - the main thing it is concerned with ให้ความสำคัญ

Ms Ghanyapad said the crisis could affect consumer confidence and cut spending on some food items. In the first quarter, Thailand saw a slight drop of 1.6% in exports of processed seafood, fruits and vegetables. "But the second half may see a bigger impact," said Ms Ghanyapad. To alleviate the blow, she suggested food exporters invest to improve competitiveness and explore niche markets with innovative products. Furthermore, they should focus on the Asean Economic Community (AEC), a market with 601 million people.

encouraged - having more confidence or hope about something มีกำลังใจ

institutions - large and important organizations, such as universities or banks สถาบัน
private institutions - privately owned organizations such as businesses

promote - to move someone to a job at a higher level เลื่อนตำแหน่ง

increase the profile of - make more well-known and famous
increase the profile of the Thai food industry internationally -

cooperatively - working together with others to achieve goals
promote exhibition as regional event - including all countries in ASEAN

Ms Ghanyapad has also encouraged the government and private institutions to promote the Thaifex food exhibition cooperatively as a regional event in order to increase the profile of the Thai food industry internationally. "Thaifex - World of Food Asia 2012 will be held at Impact Muang Thong Thani from today to Sunday.

venue - the place where an activity or event happens สถานที่ที่จัดงาน
image - an opinion that people have about someone or something ภาพลักษณ์

organiser - a person who plans an event and then manages and implements the event when it happens
co-organiser - one in a group who organize the event together

"This will be our venue for marketing and image, preparing us for a bigger AEC market," said Ms Ghanyapad. The International Trade Promotion Department, a co-organiser of the fair, said 1,073 local and foreign firms in food and related industries will join the event, which will open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.

local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
expected to draw 9,000 visitors

spur - to cause something to happen ก่อให้เกิด (See glossary)
spur the export of products

later on - not now, later, after some time passes

The exhibition is expected to draw 9,000 visitors and could spur the export of products later on.

confident - being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future มั่นใจ
remains confident - still certain abgout yourself and the future

Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the department's director-general, remains confident that export of frozen foods, seafood and processed food will continue to grow significantly this year regardless of the euro-zone crisis. Exports of Thai seafood including raw and processed products will reach an estimated US$6.1 billion this year. Sales of shrimp products are expected to rise by 3% to $3.6 billion. Major export markets for seafood products include the US, Japan and the EU.