DSS/MOST Held the Seminar on Strengthening OTOP Products towards the International Level with Science and Technology in the Subject “OTOP Products Quality Building for Sustainable Income”
On 24 November 2015 Dr. Suthiweth T. Saengchantara Department of Science Service director-general as a chairman in opening the 1st seminar on strengthening OTOP products towards the international level with science and technology in the subject “OTOP products quality building for sustainable income”, with the greeting from Mr.Sathit Thammapradit the deputy governor of Songkhla province, the executives and province officers. 350 people attended the seminar consisting of Southern provincial OTOP entrepreneurs, provincial public health officers, provincial industry officers, provincial development officers, provincial agriculture officers, university and the relevant authorities at the Diamond Plaza hotel, Hat Yai, Songkhla.
Dr. Suthiweth said “This seminar aims at integrating with various organizations in the provincial cluster to correct the problems consistent with the provincial strategic plan and having continuation in system covering from upstream to downstream. This will be useful for entrepreneurs in the province or communities to receive the assistance in concrete problems fixing and products development using science and technology which meet the requirements, improving the quality and standard of the OTOP products to be competitive and create more income, resulting in the economic development and better quality of life of Thai people with peaceful social, creating the stable foundation and sustainable strength.”
Mr.Sathit Thammapradit said “Songkhla is the operating center province of the Southern provincial cluster consisting of Songkhla, Satun, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat . There are also the Gulf of Thailand Southern provincial cluster consisting of Surat Thani, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and the Andaman coast Southern provincial cluster consisting of Phangnga, Ranong, Phuket, Krabi and Trang , which have the development strategy of agriculture, industry, trade, investment, tourism and services to establish the stable economic growth with the objectives to promote the economic expansion and increase the people’s income . Department of Science Service organized this seminar on building OTOP products quality for sustainable income. It is a good opportunity on the integration of a substantial joint operations in improving the quality of the OTOP products and encouraging linkages between the strategy plans of provincial cluster and the OTOP products strengthening the project of Department of Science Service. This technical support will benefit the society and community.”
Mrs. Nitjaporn Boon-roeng-roong, the SME entrepreneur in the Baan Teen chili paste group at Songkhla province told about the success story that the group has 38 members. At the beginning, the products can only sell in the community because they were not product standards certified. After receiving the assistance from Department of Science Service by using science and technology to improve the products on the material selection and product taste to meet quality criteria defined by the certification bodies. As a result the group has been certified for several standards include Thai Community Product Standard, Thai FDA and Halal. The products have been trusted by consumers while distribution channels are steadily increasing. The present income is hundreds of thousand per month from ten of thousand at original. Our group thanks to Department of Science Service for providing a great opportunity to the people.