CPF strives for Coca Cola image

To support the plan, the company plans to boost exports to EU countries
such as France, Spain and Belgium, and to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in Asia,
as well as launch a TV advertising campaign. The company spends an average of
Bt100 million (€2.2 million) per year on global advertising.

“The CP
brand will have the same image as global brands like Coca-Cola, meaning that we
will go everywhere around the world. What we are doing is a pilot project to
promote the image of Thai brands,” said Pisit Ohmpornnuwat, president of CP
Merchandising, CPF’s marketing arm.

“Our products should become world No
1 or two or three, like CP Group ranks as the world’s biggest animal-feed
producer,” he said.

CPF especially wants to boost its chicken exports to
the EU to 70,000 tonnes this year in response to an increased import quota. Under the
EU’s new annual quotas, Thailand can export a total of 160,033 tonnes of chicken
products and 90,000 tonnes of salted chicken.

Thailand’s chicken exports
to the EU are predicted to reach the new quota limit of 160,033 tonnes within
the next four years, Pisit said.

However, Thailand cannot utilise the
export quota for salted chicken, which is considered as fresh chicken, because
the EU has banned fresh-chicken imports from the Kingdom due to the bird-flu
outbreak.

The successful negotiation of an EU-Asean free-trade agreement
will also encourage the export of Thai chickens to the EU. Under the agreement,
the import quota will be increased and the import tariff will be brought down
from 10.9 to 8%, Pisit added.

The company also plans to boost chicken
exports to Japan from 25,000 tonnes last year to 35,000 tonnes this year. The
marketing strategy is focused on promoting the CP brand.

Pisit said Russia was another
interesting potential market for chicken, pork and shrimp. Russia’s chicken
demand has reached 1.2 million-1.5 million tonnes per year and pork
600,000-700,000 tonnes per year, while it is expected to import 3,500 tonnes of
shrimp this year.