This short International Exposure Visits Program on “Agro-Food Processing Industries in Thailand” will have its emphasis on different aspects of agro-food processing and packaging in Thailand covering planning, management, development and innovation. This program is specially designed in response to a recent request from Business Promotion Council (BPC) of Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh for a group of industrialists interested on fruits and vegetable processing. The Program will be coordinated by the AIT Extension of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), which is located in Thailand.
The aim of this program is to improve the knowledge and enhance participant’s ability to plan the development of agro-food processing entities, to establish new agro-food processing entities, and strengthen the existing ones. Along with agro-food processing development the participants must gain knowledge on operation planning and management of agro-food processing industries, and innovation in processing, packaging and post-harvest technologies. It is anticipated that by the end of the program the participants would have learned to manage companies which process, market, and merchandise agro-food products to local and international consumers.
The specific contents of this training program will cover:
- Recent Advancements and Innovations in Packaging for Agro-food Products
- Structure of the packaging and related industries in Thailand
- Relationship between the packaging industries and agro-based industries
- Some latest innovation and development of packaging for food and aro-products
- How packaging helps promote the agro-food industries
- Safety and Standardization of Agro-Industry Products
- Study Visits to Institutes, Laboratories and Private Entities of Agro-food Products
Horticulture industry is very popular and important in all societies in the developing countries – which provides nutrition as well as economic value to local community and to the country. Successful horticulture production is associated with a high level of management in production line with good agricultural practice (GAP) and the detailed involvements of postharvest handling to maintain quality and nutritional value for competitive markets. Fresh fruits and vegetables comprise nearly 50% of the world trade in horticulture. To maintain highly perishable products in nature and its quality for highest market price, efficient post-harvest handling and system has become essential. However, postharvest management of fruit and vegetables in most regions in developing countries is constrained by diverse factors such as inefficient handling and transportation, low technologies for packaging and storage, processing and poor infrastructure. Due to improper post-harvest management globally the magnitude of loss in food grains is around 10-20%, whereas for fruits and vegetables losses are estimated at 35-40%. Thailand is endowed with a wide variety of horticulture crops and leading suppliers of agricultural products with international standard. Post-harvest technology intervention, innovations in farm machinery, systems and development of agro-processing based industries, uplifting the livestock sectors have proven to be some of the successful strategies for the efficient revolution of the sustainable agriculture sector. Food processing is one of Thailand’s biggest manufacturing sectors. Food products make up a significant portion (above 60%) of the food and beverage market in Thailand, dominated by products including milled rice, tapioca starch, sugar and confectionaries, seafood, poultry meat, frozen, ready-to-eat foods, and processed fruits and vegetables. The industry is growing at the rate of 9% per year with annual production of more than 28 million tons. Therefore, the country is an excellent hub for learning within the South East Asian region.
