Impact of Netherlands Horticultural Innovation on Industry

VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co. Ltd. together with the government of the Netherlands presented “The Official Press Conference of Horti ASIA 2018” at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangkok lately. At the event, H.E. Mr. Kees Pieter Rade, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Thailand, when making his opening remarks, invited members of the press, honorable guests and dignitaries to the comfort of his residence for an indepth discussion about the Netherlands’ Horticultural Industry – how the Netherlands has become a leading global innovator and trend setter.

In addition, both the public and private sectors in Thailand, e.g. the Embassy of Israel in Thailand, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Horticultural Science Society of Thailand, as well as the major sponsor of quality trade shows and exhibitions, “Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)”, were also scheduled to participate in the talks on the role of the public and private sectors in stimulating Thailand’s domestic horticulture economy via the instrumentalization of the Horti ASIA exhibition, which is an international trade show for smart horticultural technology and innovation, to be held from August 22-24, 2018 at EH98 A-B, BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand in conjunction with a trade fair for agricultural machinery and equipment in Asia, ‘AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2018’

Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, Senior Vice President – Business, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), which is a government agency that promotes and supports Thailand’s MICE industry, and a Horti ASIA supporter since the first edition, said that this year, “we are pleased that TCEB’s campaign “Exhibiz in Market” has played a part in attracting 7 national pavilions to Horti ASIA and AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2018”. TCEB’s support is in line with the bureau’s policy to use trade shows to drive the Thailand 4.0 policy of the government as these two trade shows are involved with the development and upgrade of the agricultural sector and food processing industry, which is one of the 10 S-Curve industries in the Thailand 4.0 policy. The bureau also believes that Thailand is the region’s most suitable destination for business success in agricultural and food processing industries because Thailand is one the world’s leading exporters in these two sectors, and the country’s strategic location is in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a perfect platform to tap into the emerging economies of the region. To reinforce and further boost this potential, TCEB’s support campaigns ensure the exhibition industry that Thailand is always ready to bring and enhance success for international trade shows.

At this event, there was a panel discussion on the topic “Upcoming Challenges and Leadership Horticulture” in which four experts from the horticultural industry in Thailand shared their knowledge. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Soraya Ruamrungsri from the Faculty of Agriculture at Chiang Mai University, stated “The development of horticulture in the Netherlands has been very strong, along with the advanced technology and smart innovation. We can say that horticultural production in the Netherlands is the perfect role model for other countries. In Thailand, we should develop both production and market efficiency, in particular in floriculture. Plant breeding is very important, and it should be harmonious with the Plant Varieties Protection Act, in order to support Thai plant and flower breeders fully and protect new breeding plants legally.

The director of Agri Solutions Asia, Mr. Menno Keppel revealed that the industry, especially in Thailand, is accelerating faster than expected. The fact that we are also growers ourselves, besides supplying the technology, enables us to stay at the forefront of new innovations in the industry. We know exactly what obstacles to overcome, and can therefore offer our customers up-to-date solutions for their often unique situations.

 From the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Wilawan Kraikruan – Senior Agriculturist – said, “Thailand is also one of the leaders in Southeast Asia in terms of seed breeding development and fruit production. Many new products have been launched over the past few years. Our department has been focusing on research in plantation and agricultural machines, as well as controlling seed production. We wish to see positive changes in the industry as there will be smart technology to help growers when planting and protecting their crops.”

“We want to show the diversity of our range, offering both tropical and temperate vegetable varieties for farmers in Thailand and Asia.” said Mr. Michel Devarrewaere, Vice President of the East-West Seed group. The East-West Seed Group showcased their latest vegetable breeding innovation “Somtum F1”, a non GMO papaya, through a special demonstration called Somtam. From the point of view of the organizer, Mr. Manuel Madani, Horticulture project manager, said that “What unites us is the upcoming challenges like food safety, biological crop production, post-harvest and cold chain food loss. Horti ASIA has become the industry’s visionary group of experts, and includes more than 300 leading companies from 25 countries worldwide such as the Netherlands, France, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand. Horti ASIA 2018 will cover the paradigm of each and every supply-demand chain ranging from pre-cultivation, preparation, harvesting, breeding, fertilization technology, soil condition improvement, cultivation and harvesting technology, ventilation, greenhouse technology.

This year, Horti ASIA will be co-located with the second edition of AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2018, which is a trade show for technology and innovation of agricultural machinery and equipment. It is estimated that more than 10,000 visitors will have graced the venue over the course of the 3 days of the event. The exhibition presents 7 country pavilions from the Netherlands, China, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan, Japan and Finland. More than 500 potential buyers are invited to attend the exhibition. For those who would like to visit the exhibition, pre-registration is now available at www.horti-asia.com by using this invitation code: VMB 20014.