MOF joins hands with Pagoda to promote quality Thai fruits to China
Shenzhen Pagoda Industrial Ltd and the Marketing Organisation for Farmers (MOF), at the Ancient City in Samut Prakan province, have signed four cooperation agreements to source high-quality Thai fruits for the Chinese market.
"Thank you to the Chinese ambassador, representing the Chinese government, for valuing and supporting this event to promote cooperation between the two countries," said Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Captain Thamanat Prompow, who witnessed the signing.
“We hope that this event will help propel and expand the market for Thailand's high-quality and outstanding fruits in China, ensuring the stability and sustainability of food security in the Asian-Pacific region.”
Yu Huiyong, chairman of Pagoda, said the company has procured more than 220,000 tonnes of high-quality Thai fruits, collaborating with numerous orchards and packaging plants.
Additionally, he said, the company has partnered with government agencies to promote the development of Thailand's high-quality fruit industry along the entire industry chain.
Pagoda's selection process ensures that only outstanding and high-quality fruits, meeting Pagoda's highest selection standards, are chosen under its world-first fruit grading system, which grades fruits into four levels.
These fruits are sourced from globally significant production areas, thriving in unique natural environments. Pagoda says it adheres to the principle of allowing fruits to ripen naturally and only markets them during their peak flavour period.
Furthermore, it conducts more than 200 safety tests to ensure that the fruits are not only fresh and delicious but also safe for consumption.
The Thai Fruit Festival 2024 will be jointly organised by the Department of Agriculture, the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing, and Pagoda. The festival is set to take place from May 8 to 14 in China. Its purpose is to promote the quality standards of Thai fruits and their distribution through Pagoda's fruit retail stores, totalling more than 6,000 branches across China.
Additionally, Chinese media and key opinion leaders (KOLs) will visit and tour Thai orchards and packaging plants in Chanthaburi province on Tuesday.
Currently, Thailand can export 22 types of fruit to China and is in the process of seeking permission to expand the list even further.
In the past year, Thailand exported more than 2.36 million tonnes of fruit to China, accounting for 90% of its total fruit exports.
In 2023, China imported fruits from Thailand worth US$7.056 billion, an increase of 11.9% compared with the previous year. Among these imports, durian accounted for a significant portion, valued at $4.566 billion, marking an 18% increase.
