Minister of commerce reports successful year for fruit sector
Pichai Naripthaphan has instructed Department of Internal Trade to prepare measures for 2025 fruit season
As the 2024 fruit season in Thailand draws to a close, prices have surged across all categories, including durian, mangosteen, rambutan, longkong, mango, lychee, oranges, pomelo, pineapple, and longan, bringing smiles to farmers.
Meanwhile, Minister of Commerce Pichai Naripthaphan has instructed the Department of Internal Trade to prepare measures for the 2025 fruit season.
Pichai said the Department of Internal Trade has been monitoring fruit production and pricing for 2024. The season is nearing its end, and prices have increased across all categories, a success attributed to the 2024 fruit management plan, which involved six key measures and 25 initiatives.
These preparations began well before the fruit entered the market, and after taking office, Pichai intensified efforts to expand the domestic market, promote exports to new markets, and encourage the processing of produce to add value. This has resulted in a successful conclusion to the fruit season, marking another golden year for farmers, who have enjoyed high prices and increased income.
Looking ahead to the 2025 fruit management plan, Pichai has instructed the Department of Internal Trade to prepare measures in advance of the new season. These measures will focus on promoting production and processing, expanding the domestic and international markets, improving trade efficiency, facilitating trade, and implementing legal measures.
Once finalised, these measures will be discussed with relevant government and private sectors to be used proactively for the 2025 fruit season.
Eastern Thailand’s fruit season has already concluded, with prices improving across all categories. In the South, the season is nearly over, with 98.6% of the durian crop harvested. Northern Thailand is also nearing the end of its season, with mango production already complete.
Regarding the export of fresh fruit, 1.4 million tonnes have been exported during the first eight months of 2024 (January to August), valued at US$4.2 billion or about 150 billion baht.
China remains the main market thanks to its strong purchasing power, with increasing imports. Other potential markets include South Korea, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, which have also seen rising imports of Thai fresh fruit.
