• 
• 

Published on July 13, 2007

NCC Exhibition Organiser is organising the annual Pet Expo next month to boost the sector further.

However, the industry will be driven mainly by the mass market rather than the premium segment, because people who keep animals are changing their priorities from premium products to cheaper ones.

Thai Pet Product Industries Association president Kriang Taemchatchawai yesterday said the number of imported products had decreased, while local products had increased.

He said there was a very specific group of people still willing to pay for expensive products. Those who keep animals that have been bred outside of the Kingdom are also drivers of the premium market.

Kriang estimates there are 5 million dogs in homes across the country, with 1 million of them being fed finished foods.

Meanwhile, there are 500,000 cats in the same situation.

To make consumers believe in the importance of buying high-quality products for animals, the association has arranged seminars and activities.

Pet Focus, a manufacturer of dog and cat foods under the Betragro Group, has seen about 10 per cent of its customers switch to other brands with lower prices, said product manager Yosaputh Lertwisitphon.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation