Govt urged to solve ‘monkey-picked coconuts’ row urgently

[webfact]

Govt urged to solve ‘monkey-picked coconuts’ row urgently

By THE NATION

 

Kriangsak Thepphadungporn

 

Worried about English supermarkets refusing to stock Thai coconut milk, Kriangsak Thepphadungporn, managing director of Ampol Food Processing, a leading agri-product manufacturer and exporter, said the government should clarify the situation before the issue escalates.

 

“Thai coconut products were banned around two years ago, but at a smaller scope with minor impact,” he said. “This time, we must be quick in clarifying this issue before it spreads to other export markets like the European Union, United States and Australia.”

 

Kriangsak said his company and its trade partners had humans pick coconuts as the output was larger.

 

“Normally, monkeys can only pick between 100 and 200 coconuts per day, while humans can use a hooked blade and harvest as many as 2,000 coconuts a day,” he said. “Nowadays people only keep monkeys for shows, and they are usually treated like other household pets.

 

“Therefore, we urge the Commerce and Agriculture and Cooperatives ministries to gather evidence to convince foreign parties that Thais do not abuse monkeys in the coconut harvesting process. Evidence from the authorities will be more credible than what is presented by a private company,” he said.

 

Ampol Food Processing and its affiliates manufacture coconut milk, oil, coconut juice and jelly under the brand “Chao Koh”, with annual sales of Bt8 billion to Bt9 billion.

 

“We export 60 to 70 per cent of our products to the US and Australia, while Europe is responsible for 15 per cent of the company’s exports,” Kriangsak said.

 

Related Story: Ban on monkey-picked coconut products in UK won’t hurt: shippers’ council

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390959

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-08

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[from the home of CC]

whattya mean you're not using human slaves? well hell, you're boycotted lol...

[bitterbatter]

I have watched those monkeys, they are way faster then people.  This isn't for show. And climbing those tall trees in incredibly dangerous. Also it is cheaper.  So if you get rid of the monkeys,  more people will fall, less people will pay to get their trees picked, and more coconuts will fall without warning also creating another danger.  This is pure BS, once again being pushed by leftists who want to regulate away every single freedom they can think of to satisfy their distorted beliefs. 

Everytime we give in to these control freaks, we lose more and more. 

 

Do this and watch the price of coconut products to go up, sales will go down.

And to top it off, if they go down this route, what is the first thing people who own these monkeys will do? 

They lost the money to feed them...  So there is a good chance that they will kill them.  How humane.

[orchis]

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

“Nowadays people only keep monkeys for shows, and they are usually treated like other household pets.

That's not entirely true, in Chumporn there are monkeys at work, not for show.

[colinneil]

  Sorry Kriangsak, the government are far too busy monkeying around themselves, no time to help you fix the problem. 

[tribalfusion001]

This must be the UK and EU saying up yours to Thailand for banning tourists entering the kingdom. Using monkeys for slave labour, tut tut.

[Dukeleto]

Methinks he doth protest too much!

[Xonax]

Just pay humans a small salary (even if it is to small to make a decent living) and they cannot be called slaves!!

[Mr Meeseeks]

18 hours ago, bitterbatter said:

I have watched those monkeys, they are way faster then people.  This isn't for show. And climbing those tall trees in incredibly dangerous. Also it is cheaper.  So if you get rid of the monkeys,  more people will fall, less people will pay to get their trees picked, and more coconuts will fall without warning also creating another danger.  This is pure BS, once again being pushed by leftists who want to regulate away every single freedom they can think of to satisfy their distorted beliefs. 

Everytime we give in to these control freaks, we lose more and more. 

 

Do this and watch the price of coconut products to go up, sales will go down.

And to top it off, if they go down this route, what is the first thing people who own these monkeys will do? 

They lost the money to feed them...  So there is a good chance that they will kill them.  How humane.

If they don't use personal fall protection or proper height access devices when picking coconuts then it is entirely their own and/or their employer's fault.

 

This is the 21st century, using animals for profit especially on an industrial scale is immoral, unethical and just plain wrong.

 

You are not a "leftist" or "control freak" if you understand, the same arguments and insults were used against the abolitionists that opposed the slave trade the 1800's.

Edited July 9, 2020 by Mr Meeseeks

[Humpy]

I don't remember any complaints about Thai rice when the Thais were using buffalo to pull the ploughs in the rice fields. 

[Deerculler]

Mr meeseeks.

All over the world animals are used for profit.

Cows for milk.

Dogs do a variety of work.

Sheep for meat and wool.

And it goes on 

I wish people like would get there heads out of the sand.

None of you have a clue as to what goes on around world.

So stop looking like a fool.

[Mr Meeseeks]

11 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

Mr meeseeks.

All over the world animals are used for profit.

Cows for milk.

Dogs do a variety of work.

Sheep for meat and wool.

And it goes on 

I wish people like would get there heads out of the sand.

None of you have a clue as to what goes on around world.

So stop looking like a fool.

I think the fools are the ones making inane comparisons with other industries and practices to cover up or divert attention from the topic at hand.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

“Normally, monkeys can only pick between 100 and 200 coconuts per day, while humans can use a hooked blade and harvest as many as 2,000 coconuts a day,” he said. “Nowadays people only keep monkeys for shows, and they are usually treated like other household pets.

 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

“Therefore, we urge the Commerce and Agriculture and Cooperatives ministries to gather evidence to convince foreign parties that Thais do not abuse monkeys in the coconut harvesting process.

He even contradicts himself in the statement.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Just now, hotchilli said:

 

He even contradicts himself in the statement.

Couldn't lie straight in bed. 

[Cake Monster]

Some minister from some department or another, only a couple of days ago, said that really, this was an insignificant and minor issue.

If thats the case, why all the Hoo-Haa over it, when there are more urgent and serious problems for the Government to address.

[KhunKenAP]

Once they fix this, they can start on the monkeys in government. 

[PaoloR]

19 hours ago, bitterbatter said:

I have watched those monkeys, they are way faster then people.  This isn't for show. And climbing those tall trees in incredibly dangerous. Also it is cheaper.  So if you get rid of the monkeys,  more people will fall, less people will pay to get their trees picked, and more coconuts will fall without warning also creating another danger.  This is pure BS, once again being pushed by leftists who want to regulate away every single freedom they can think of to satisfy their distorted beliefs. 

Everytime we give in to these control freaks, we lose more and more. 

 

Do this and watch the price of coconut products to go up, sales will go down.

And to top it off, if they go down this route, what is the first thing people who own these monkeys will do? 

They lost the money to feed them...  So there is a good chance that they will kill them.  How humane.

Read again! Humans do not climb the palms, they cut with blades on very long sticks. They pick faster than monkeys as they don't have to climb. Also humans don't come with all the obstinacy and difficulties that reluctant monkeys come with.

I despair of the large number of inmates who comment without reading and then fire out Trumpisms about imaginary conspiracies. 

[Mario666]

This is all a load of "BORROX"...I live on Koh Samui and see these monkeys in action many times....

 

But far from seeming abused the monkeys are very well taken care of and also they seem to like their job......Which is mostly climbing trees!

 

What else do you want monkeys to do 4FS? 

Edited July 9, 2020 by Mario666

[Dogmatix]

 Having read PETA's account it seems that they have researched this properly and have a reasonable case that the monkeys are snatched from their mothers as infants, sold to farmers and systematically abused.  PETA invited some Thai producers that export to Europe and are known to use forced monkey labour for discussions to see how this could be amicably resolved.  The Thai companies ignored PETA's requests, so PETA went ahead to take the action it has taken.  

 

It all sounds quite fair to me.  I would be willing to believe PETA over some mealy mouthed Thai government officials and business owners any day.  They are perfectly free to continue as they are and find other export markets to sell to.  No one is trying to force them to change. 

 

Europeans are used to Thais lying about bird flu, slave labour etc and PETA is extremely tenacious.  So I don't think the usual bare faced lies will do the trick, nor should they. 

[Okis]

So how are they gonna convince them to change now after they blantanly lied to them saying that monkeys was only used to show off for tourists?  Anyone having experience in farming here knows that farmers sell some or the majority of their harvests to the processing plants either directly or trough a middle hand.  Not all of the stuff comes from the corporations large fields,  a big part of it is also bought cheap from local farmers.

 

If we know about this, then others countries goverments also know about it. 

 

It's been constant flipflopping since this started. 

 

Any sane person would take that as a sign of them being untrustworthy and that they are ready to say anything/lie to get you to contineu to buy their products. 

 

It is true that it is a cultural thing, diffrent cultures use diffrent animals for food and farming.  And if there is no abuse worse than in European countries or the animals are in danger of extinction then European countries are hypocrites to wine about this. 

 

However Thailand's representative's response to this have been very foolish and they only make things worse for themselves. 

 

The only way they will be able to reverse this situation is if they cut the price in half or something. 

Edited July 9, 2020 by Okis

[Okis]

3 hours ago, PaoloR said:

 

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by Okis

[mayview]

The claim of animal cruelty in this situation, I think, is related to the care (housing, feeding and securing) of these animals. I haven't seen any claim or description of injury or cruelty in the acts of coconut harvesting.
Could the coconut growers and processors review the care of the monkeys to make the process of coconut reaping humane, ethical and pleasant?

[samsensam]

 

how about addressing the issue of animal cruelty generally within thailand? where dogs are kicked and beaten in the street, often kept in cages in homes and forced to wear clothing in temperatures in excess of 25 degrees, where tigers are drugged so the ignorant can have their photo taken with them, where  elephants end up in sanctuaries due to mis-treatment in the tourist or forestry industries... animal protection and welfare is shameful in thailand

[Dogmatix]

5 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

how about addressing the issue of animal cruelty generally within thailand? where dogs are kicked and beaten in the street, often kept in cages in homes and forced to wear clothing in temperatures in excess of 25 degrees, where tigers are drugged so the ignorant can have their photo taken with them, where  elephants end up in sanctuaries due to mis-treatment in the tourist or forestry industries... animal protection and welfare is shameful in thailand

There are animals that suffer worse mistreatment than the monkeys but this is a good start and there is leverage they want to continue making money from exporting the coconut products.  The UK doesn't need Thai coconuts because it can substitute easily from other countries.

[Dogmatix]

6 hours ago, Okis said:

So how are they gonna convince them to change now after they blantanly lied to them saying that monkeys was only used to show off for tourists?  Anyone having experience in farming here knows that farmers sell some or the majority of their harvests to the processing plants either directly or trough a middle hand.  Not all of the stuff comes from the corporations large fields,  a big part of it is also bought cheap from local farmers.

 

If we know about this, then others countries goverments also know about it. 

 

It's been constant flipflopping since this started. 

 

Any sane person would take that as a sign of them being untrustworthy and that they are ready to say anything/lie to get you to contineu to buy their products. 

 

It is true that it is a cultural thing, diffrent cultures use diffrent animals for food and farming.  And if there is no abuse worse than in European countries or the animals are in danger of extinction then European countries are hypocrites to wine about this. 

 

However Thailand's representative's response to this have been very foolish and they only make things worse for themselves. 

 

The only way they will be able to reverse this situation is if they cut the price in half or something. 

 

This is the classic failing of Thais in dealing with foreigners. They think they can get away with bare faced lies because foreigners are too stupid to find out the truth for themselves. 

 

Many will recall Thaksin's bare faced lie to a visiting EU commissioner in 2003 that Thailand had no bird flu. The EU commissioner was ranting for weeks that he couldn't believe the Thai prime minister would deliberately to the face of an EU commissioner.  That lie worked out great for Thai exporters.  Got Thai poultry banned from the EU for three years. 

[Soikhaonoiken]

The main problem is that the world dont believe what Thai ministers say as most what is said on what ever subject is mostly lies,  so why don't you man up and say whether or not monkeys are used in the harvest of coconuts, but don't forget the world is not blind.... 

[phetchy]

Can someone please merge all of the coconut-picking monkey/UK supermarket/PETA stuff into a single thread? - the subjects are all intertwined and as they are subjects that will never result in any consensus as opinions are so diverse, it might as well be in one place.

 

      

[StayinThailand2much]

Seems to be a major headache for the government, judging from the large number of news items about the topic. - So, is the economy mostly based on coconut milk? (Asking for a friend.)

Edited July 10, 2020 by StayinThailand2much

[NightSky]

this is going to lead to some serious unemployment problems down the road..

 

[Damrongsak]

42 minutes ago, NightSky said:

this is going to lead to some serious unemployment problems down the road..  ...

And drinking problems as well.