Coconut milk exports off, blame the monkeys

[snoop1130]

Coconut milk exports off, blame the monkeys

By THE NATION

 

 

Thai exporters of coconut milk are being spurned by prospective buyers in the European Union and United States because monkeys are used to gather the nuts, a new source said.

 

And that’s seen as animal abuse.

 

Industry representatives tried to explain to their trade partners in the West that sending monkeys up the tree to get the nuts is a tradition in the Thai South and part of the culture.

They got nowhere.

 

The growers are pleading with the Department of Agriculture to press the point with the foreigners – tradition, culture, no harm done, rather amusing to watch even for Western tourists.

 

But the government has stayed silent.

 

The more desperate plantation owners have shrugged and sacked the monkeys, turning instead to human labour, but the decline in exports remains a threat to many growers.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382098

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-13

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[tifino]

mrs can outclimb the best of them 

[anterian]

Do the monkeys get a decent wage, holidays and a pension?

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

because monkeys are used to gather the nuts, a new source said.

And that’s seen as animal abuse.

So better to stick with human abuse and employ the locals to collect the coconuts.

[rocket3rider]

Do these idiots know that the growers have to send their monkeys to "monkey school" to learn how to do it?

 

 

[Nyezhov]

More "woke" stupidity that hurts the little guy trying to make a living.

 

 

[madmitch]

10 hours ago, anterian said:

Do the monkeys get a decent wage, holidays and a pension?

Probably about as good as a human equivalent would get!

[SoilSpoil]

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

[404error]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

But the government has stayed silent.

Well, I have never heard a monkey speak..

[404error]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

part of the culture.

Just like corruption..

[yokat]

I don't know of anybody who refused to buy coconut milk because of it being harvested using a monkey, I don't think most people are even aware of it.

Could it be that once again another country does it better and/or cheaper than here ?

[mickey rat]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Industry representatives tried to explain to their trade partners in the West that sending monkeys up the tree to get the nuts is a tradition in the Thai South and part of the culture.

Just like burning everything in sight, doing 80km in the passing lane, trash on the side of the road, smoke, noise and to carry a samurai sword in the back seat. 

[tifino]

Just now, mickey rat said:

Just like burning everything in sight, doing 80km in the passing lane, trash on the side of the road, smoke, noise and to carry a samurai sword in the back seat. 

but the monkeys didn't any do those...    sc ape goat

[IAMHERE]

All the animals the EU eats every year; they make an issue of monkeys climbing trees to harvest coconuts. I bet the EU still uses horse & oxen to plow fields.

[worgeordie]

There's going to be a lot of fat monkeys laying about down South

with nothing to do,they must have a special dept. in the EU,just

thinking up stupid ideas,and they think of a lot.

regards worgeordie

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

There's going to be a lot of fat monkeys laying about down South

with nothing to do,they must have a special dept. in the EU,just

thinking up stupid ideas,and they think of a lot.

regards worgeordie

Perhaps put them all on the EU monkey mountain, next to the butter mountain.

[30la]

The slackers who make monkeys do the job must be chastised, the mistreatment of animals is not good!

[samuttodd]

Why not have the monkies sign an afadavit attesting that they are not under duress and have chosen the nut gathering as a vocation?  

 

It is the leash that frightens the westerners.. It is a western perception,  and perception is reality.

 

  Get rid of the leash and it will pass muster.

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by samuttodd

[rickudon]

So, if the monkeys are not used, what point in keeping them? (farmers sensible logic). Within a few years a lot less monkeys - guess the petfood industry will take them.

 

Humane, yes?

[Ireland32]

Animal Nuts ridiculous 

[ThomasThBKK]

https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/processed-fruit-vegetables-edible-nuts/desiccated-coconuts/europe/

 

Well, as the EU is the biggest coconut importer in the world, i guess Thailand has to suck it up. 

 

Now nearly all Coconuts come from the philiphines, good job PH. Nearly nothing gets imported from TH.

 

 

[adammike]

It's nothing to do with the EU it's the importers and distributors if it's happening at all.

The animal rights activists may be agitating to stop the use of monkeys but again it's not the EU.

I guess we will see "no monkeys were used in the harvesting of these coconuts" on my can of biological free trade coconut milk soon.

The nuts in this thread are those who believe it's the EU.

[adammike]

25 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/processed-fruit-vegetables-edible-nuts/desiccated-coconuts/europe/

 

Well, as the EU is the biggest coconut importer in the world, i guess Thailand has to suck it up. 

 

Now nearly all Coconuts come from the philiphines, good job PH. Nearly nothing gets imported from TH.

 

 

I see a lot of coconut milk from Thailand in my supermarket but I will look when I next shop as I am now curious to see where it comes from.

[ThomasThBKK]

5 hours ago, adammike said:

I see a lot of coconut milk from Thailand in my supermarket but I will look when I next shop as I am now curious to see where it comes from.

Could very well be that different products are from different exporting markets. 
Stuff like coconut milk and water might be from Thailand instead of PH. 

 

But anyway, there are a lot of anti animal cruelty laws etc in the EU and US now and exporting countries have to either accept that or sell somewhere else... 

[PhilAtUbon]

So if they are objecting to monkeys being used as part of the agricultural process, when will they stop importing vegatables from countries which use oxen, buffaloes etc to plough fields?

 

 

 

[VocalNeal]

14 hours ago, samuttodd said:

It is the leash that frightens the westerners.. It is a western perception,  and perception is reality.

Oh like Seeing Eye Dogs then? 

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

But anyway, there are a lot of anti animal cruelty laws etc in the EU and US

Pigs in a slaughter house or monkeys up a tree? 

 

Ask the pigs? They would opt for coconut work if they could. 

[tso310]

On 2/14/2020 at 7:36 AM, rocket3rider said:

Do these idiots know that the growers have to send their monkeys to "monkey school" to learn how to do it?

 

 

Actually years ago it was the monkeys sending their humans to collect the coconuts. In the end if you want to do a job well you have to do it yourself.

[observer90210]

Funny. The Eco-Terrorists of the EU and worldwide say and do nothing about the rampant corruption in Thailand that is a poisonous thorn in a foot....but when it comes to monkeys earning a honest living....????

[geriatrickid]

On 2/13/2020 at 10:21 AM, bluesofa said:

So better to stick with human abuse and employ the locals to collect the coconuts.

Your moral compass is skewed. Cruelty is cruelty.

 The human employees will be better treated.