Local Animal Feed Enterprises Complain to City Hall After Being Forced Out of Night Safari Contract

 | Fri 23 Sep 2016 06:17 ICT

CityNews – Four local animal feed community enterprises have issued a complaint to the Chiang Mai Night Safari after the controversial safari zoo announced it would be outsourcing their animal feed to the most competitive bidder.

animal feed night safari

The four community enterprises which have been providing animal feed to the Night Safari come from four sub-districts of the Chiang Mai province; Mae Hia, Suthep, Nong Khwai and Ban Pong in Hang Dong. The enterprises joined together in issuing a complaint to city hall, claiming they would be pushed out of the market by larger companies, affecting over 500 families in the local areas.

The four sub-district community enterprises were established in 2004 and have been providing animal feed to the Night Safari since 2014. This week Night Safari announced they were canceling all orders of animal food, and will be holding an event where companies interested in taking over the animal feed contract can competitively bid against each other.

In response to the compalint, the Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai told the four enterprises to join together and register in Mae Hia in order to create a single entity that the government would support in the bidding process, potentially taking back the contract.

In addition, City Hall has opened an investigation into the Chiang Mai Night Safari in whether their cancellation of the animal feed contract with the four community enterprises was done in a correct and legal manner. The case has been taken up with the Auditor General of Thailand.

The deputy governor pointed out that business are within their legal right to cancel contracts such as this in favour for a cheaper competitor. However, he did add that he will do all he can to ensure the government helps the local community enterprises have a chance in the upcoming bid.