Bird flu prompts heavy investment in secure poultry farms

THAILAND - Producers are investing billions of baht in enclosed chicken farms – thanks to the bird flu outbreak, according to the Board of Investment (BOI).

Traditional open-air poultry farms were being abandoned because birds from protected facilities were fetching higher export prices, said Mrs. Vibulphan Juntarashote, BOI assistant secretary-general.

The BOI was promoting the enclosed farming system by extending privileges such as exemption of import duties for machinery and the waiving of corporate tax for eight years. Qualification for other BOI-related privileges would depend on the location of the farms.

Mrs. Vibulphan said to date, the BOI had received applications from 33 such projects involving a total investment of 3.1 billion baht. Applications covering another 20 enclosed farm projects, worth one billion baht, were expected to be lodged next year.

Applicants were individual poultry farmers and corporations who had contract farming deals with conglomerates. The applicants were investing between 30-60 million baht in these ventures. Apart from the BOI, she said the Government Savings Bank and the SMEs Bank were also eager to offer support.

Source: MCOT
calendar icon 13 December 2005
clock icon 1 minute read
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