University to Tambon Project: Free Access to University Facilities on Processed Food Productions to Local Famers and Food Producers

07Nov 2022 by Krittayot Ritthijak

Outreach and Engagement

In the fiscal year 2021, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) has approved Walailak University by the Center for Academic Service (CAS) and each School within the University as a system integrator to undertake an “Integrated Subdistrict Economic and Social Upgrading Project by University to Tambon: U2T.” There are 36 Sub-Districts covering 4 provinces: Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Surat Thani Province, Chumphon Province, and Krabi Province, which are under the responsibilities of WU. In Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, the project focuses on activities to upgrade food safety products based on community identity, aiming to develop products and services throughout the supply chain and the value chain to achieve quality and food safety standards that meet the market’s demands toward the goal of raising the district level better, and the people in the area have increased income.

Upgrading food safety products based on community identity activity collaborates with Walailak University’s lecturers, farmers and producers of processed food, and unit parties to focus on solving problems of raw materials with low prices, extending the shelf life of food, increasing the value of agricultural products, creating product prototypes, and physical and nutritional test analysis in laboratories with knowledge and technological innovation, such as baking, drying, pickling, salting, fermentation, etc. Also, the activity aims to combine unique ways that reflect the community and diverse and distinctive ingredients in each area, upgrading the original product and developing it into new products.

In addition, it also focuses on creating added value for the product by creating a brand or brand image to make the product widely known. It also focuses on developing distinctive or creative packaging, including logos, babel, and packaging development of the products.

processed seafood products:
crab, shrimp, fish, and squid from local communities are taken to process into a variety of products, including snacks and condiments: croaker fish chips with herb, crispy coconut crepe with smoked shrimp, rice seasoning with dried shrimp; from sub-districts in coastal areas such as Na Saton Subdistrict, Hua Sai district: shredded fish chili paste, curry dried shredded fish chili paste, crispy fish chips; from neighboring communities such as Koh Phet Subdistrict, Hua Sai District, and Tha Phaya Subdistrict, Pak Phanang District offers products as crispy spicy shrimp seasoned, curry chili paste mixed crispy shrimp, spicy crispy shrimp seasoned, chili paste with fish fingers, crispy blue crab chili paste.
processed products from fruits and vegetables: Bang Sukhi guava, a favorite fruit of Pa Rakam Sub-district, Pak Phanang District, is a fresh guava with a local flavor. It is developed as a product of dried plum-soaked guava, dried guava compote, and guava roll.
processed meat products: In Thaiburi Subdistrict, Tha Sala District, farmers who raise many pigs are at risk of fluctuating market prices, so there is the goal for villagers to solve the problem with community enterprise groups to find menu items in demand in the market, such as crispy pork sticks, pork sausages, and Vietnamese sausages, to create additional career channels to increase income for members of the community.

For implementation in the process of developing prototype food processing products, Walailak University has given farmers and food producers the opportunity can access free facilities of the university: the food drying processing laboratory, food processing laboratory, and food packaging processing laboratory to be a place to study and experiment production. Also, the products are produced for sale and meet the needs of consumers, and knowledge of product development is transferred to increase the efficiency of the production process to the standard certification, business model education, business administration, and promoting both online and offline marketing.