China takes over Thai fruit and vegetable industry
Chinese traders have gained control of the fresh fruit and vegetable segments of the Thai agriculture industry – negatively affecting the quality of produce shipped into Vietnam. Experts at the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association also say there are legitimate concerns that Chinese domination of these segments of the market pose a serious threat to the nation’s economic security. Nguyen Van Ky, secretary general of Vinafruit, citing a study conducted by Thailand’s Pesticide Alert Network, said that out of 138 samples of produce in three major Thai growing regions, 46.6% were found to contain unsafe insecticide and pesticide residue levels.
