Thailand aims to send more agricultural exports to Japan to further shore up its bilateral trade balance of 130 billion baht, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Friday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged related agencies to help expand foreign markets for domestically made agricultural products, especially Japan, the spokesman added.
Japan ranks as Thailand's second-largest export market for agricultural goods and food products, the Ministry of Commerce reported earlier.
From 2019 to 2021, it consumed 11.35% of the total value of agricultural exports from Thailand, Mr Thanakorn said.
Commerce Ministry officials and other representatives recently visited Japan to meet with private companies in logistics and warehouse businesses to learn more about market trends, opportunities and customer behaviour, he said.
The government hopes to see more cooperation in logistics technology to reduce operating costs.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has also worked with Takasaki City University of Economics and Futurenaut Inc to research sustainability in food production.
Futurenaut imports cricket protein powder from Thailand to produce snacks.
The Ministry of Commerce is also working with the Department of Intellectual Property and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to promote three Geographical Indications (GI) products: Doi Tung Coffee and Doi Chang Coffee in Chiang Rai, and Huai Mun pine apples from Uttaradit.
