THE government of Thailand is being urged to hire lobbyists in the United States and the European Union to counteract a campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) calling on consumers to boycott Thai-produced coconut milk.
Peta says in its campaign that monkeys are used to harvest coconuts on Thai plantations, and are severely mistreated.
The campaign is affecting exports of coconuts from Thailand, private sector sources said.
They say the Peta campaign is based on false information and are urging the government to hire lobbying firms to counteract the campaign, which shows videos and images of monkeys being mistreated and allegedly trained to harvest coconuts.
Peta’s campaign is leading to a decrease in consumer purchases and causing importers and traders in the US and Europe to reduce purchases of Thai products, private sector sources say.
Thai coconut milk producers and exporters say they do not use monkeys in harvesting.
Newer coconut plantations use so-called “dwarf” coconut trees, which are shorter and do not need to be climbed to harvest coconuts. — The Nation/ANN
