Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with Thammasat University (TU) has introduced the blockchain system for tracing agricultural produces.
Blockchain is the system made up of consecutive orders of individual blocks of data involving a series of related transactions, which can be used to trace cryptocurrency like bitcoin. However, blockchain is still a mystery in other industries.
TU started this project by gathering and analyzing related data to study the possibility of designing a prototype system for tracking organic rice since it has high demands for both domestic and international markets.
Currently, seven farmers, community enterprises, and entrepreneurs have joined the program.
By being a part of this program, they have received “TraceThai” stickers to put on their products. The products available are Red Jasmine Rice, Riceberry, Tubtim Chumphae Rice, and organic vegetable porridge.
TraceThai stickers guarantee that the products are traceable by inputting products’ serial numbers into www.TraceThai.com or scanning the QR code on the package. The consumers will be able to receive the information about the organic certified organizations, all the way up to the growing process, manufacturing, processing, and retailing process.
Ms. Pimchanok Vonkorpon, Director General, TPSO, the initiator of this project said that Thailand is one of the very first countries to use the blockchain system for organic produce. This is a great way to add more value to the product and responding to the market’s trend of organic and clean ingredients. After the spreading of COVID-19, Thai organic produce is recognized.
This system will increase the ability to compete because customers will be able to trace everything by themselves giving them confidence in buying products. The project is planning to broaden the distribution channel by collaborating with modern trade to provide a sale booth that allows consumers to test the QR code tracing system.
For the international markets, the team will discuss with the embassy the credibility and overview of the system. Besides, they will discuss online with buyers and importers. In the discussion, the products and system will be explained to increase sales. In 2021, the team plans to have 1,000 farmers, community enterprises, and entrepreneurs registered in the system. And the project will continue to work on other produce.