Anant Phusitthikul, secretary-general of the office, said the project aimed to reduce imports. Oxen will be bred in the provinces of Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Kamphaeng Phet, Khon Kaen, Chai Nat, Ayutthaya and Roi Et.

 Under a contract farming agreement, 183 farmers will breed 1,500 oxen worth more than Bt50.5 million.

 Oxen Cooperatives have also created a brand of high quality meat called "KU beef", which will be sold in the form of chilled carcass, wholesale and retail cut. The meat will be directly supplied to stores like Tesco Lotus, Carrefour, The Mall and Tang Hua Seng. Some of the production will also be sold to major users, including Thai Airways International, Chok Chai International, Barbecue Plaza, BM Quality Foods, Thai Premium, and F and B Foods Service.

 Oxen Cooperatives chairman Dr Chainarong Kanthapanit added that farmers will take eight to 10 months to breed oxen to achieve a weight of 550-650 kilograms.

 He added that farmers are expected to receive an income of Bt5,000-8,000 per ox. - The Nation

Refiner upbeat

Bangchak Petroleum expects its revenue this year to rise by 20 per cent to as much as Bt120 billion, due to higher refining output.

Average refining output this year is expected to be about 65,000 barrels a day, up from an average of 56,000 a day last year, said president Anusorn Sangnimnuan. The company projects that its revenue will surge to Bt200 billion in 2008, following a product quality improvement project. - The Nation

Yeti to fly abroad

Yeti Airlines, a domestic airline in Nepal, has received a government licence to run flights from Kathmandu to five destinations: Bangkok, Seoul, Lhasa, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and Paro in Bhutan.

"If things go as we desire, we will launch international flights in a year," said Bijaya Shrestha, its executive director.

Yeti Air has four Jet Stream-41 turboprop planes and five Twin Otters, the largest fleet among private domestic airlines. - Kathmandu Post/ANN