Agriculture Ministry to establish ‘pineapple metropolis’ next year: Alongkorn
The Agriculture Ministry will establish a “pineapple metropolis” in Prachuap Khiri Khan next year to support growers of the spiky yellow fruit.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot, adviser to Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Srion, unveiled the plan at the 38th conference of the Sam Roi Yod pineapple farmers cooperative in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Sam Roi Yod district on Tuesday.
Alongkorn said the metropolis will also branch out to the pineapple-growing areas of Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi to bring farmers under the canopy of better government support.
Alongkorn said over 1.77 billion tonnes of pineapples have been harvested on 457,255 rai in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Phitsanulok and Rayong this year.
The wholesale price of pineapples has also been satisfactory for farmers since 2020, he added.
Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of fresh and canned pineapples with annual revenue of about 20 billion baht, constituting 32% of the global market, Alongkorn said.
As Prachuap Khiri Khan hosts the largest number of pineapple-canning factories in the country, it is already the de facto “pineapple metropolis”, said the agriculture minister.
The metropolis’s launch next year will also see the national pineapple policy committee, chaired by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, adjust its five-year development plan (2023-2027). Agriculture Minister Chalermchai is deputy chair of the panel.
Alongkorn said the ministry will also draft a law next year to boost development of pineapples, durians and longans as cash crops.
The law will establish a fruit development fund to serve as the main mechanism for raising income of fruit growers.
