Drought, pests seriously lower country's coconut production

By The Nation

Thailand is set to lose its ranking as the world's secondlargest coconut exporter and become a net importer as drought has damaged growing areas.

For more than four years, Prachuap Khiri Khan, the country's most important area for coconut cultivation, has been hit by drought. The province now has only about 400,000 rai (64,000 hectares) of productive plantation area out of a potential 2.5 million rai.

In addition to the land, drought has directly affected the trees and fruits themselves, making them vulnerable to insects that damage the quality of the product. In the worst case, coconut palms in Thap Sakae district have died, their green fronds turning brown. Production dropped drastically to about 10 per cent of normal. from 1,000 to 100 fruits for 10 rais plantation.

"It is a big crisis for coconut growers and domestic supply," said a coconut farmer living in the district.

The farmers said coconuts could grow anywhere in the country with normal rainfall. However, the province has faced such severe drought that even irrigation systems have had insufficient water for the past four years.

The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. This also directly affects coconut milk, whose price has also jumped in line with the raw material. Kriangsak Theppadungporn, managing director of Ampol Food Processing, said the supply of coconuts for its plant producing coconut milk had dropped sharply from 150 tonnes to 6070 tonnes per day.

"Our production cannot serve market demand right now," Kriangsak said.

Moreover, the company has shouldered losses since last year as it cannot adjust retail prices. Its rawcoconut cost has increased from Bt78 to Bt20 per fruit.

To ensure production, Ampol has to import coconuts from Indonesia.

The company has joined hands with government agencies to combat the spread of coconut pests with biopesticides.

-- The Nation 2011-02-04

" The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. "

dam_n that's some expensive fruit - Even the coconuts at nana plaza ain't that expensive!!

" The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. "

dam_n that's some expensive fruit - Even the coconuts at nana plaza ain't that expensive!!

yep - then this - are there no proof readers in this paper? Its rawcoconut cost has increased from Bt78 to Bt20 per fruit.

" The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. "

dam_n that's some expensive fruit - Even the coconuts at nana plaza ain't that expensive!!

yep - then this - are there no proof readers in this paper? Its rawcoconut cost has increased from Bt78 to Bt20 per fruit.

lol.....swiftly followed by this .....the supply of coconuts for its plant producing coconut milk had dropped sharply from 150 tonnes to 6070 tonnes per day.

To the editors of the Nation - If you want to be taken seriously as a paper look at the above and decide if these mistakes are worthy of a serious newspaper. It two TV members can find these mistakes ask yourself these questions - <deleted> are your proof readers doing? And why are you allowing such glaring mistakes to be shown globally on the internet??

Thanks for the laugh though !!

What! No longer a coconut hub?

Its rawcoconut cost has increased from Bt78 to Bt20 per fruit.

Someone needs a new calculator.

dam_n! Our plans for a Coconut Hub dashed...

Like there's a shortage?

" The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. "

dam_n that's some expensive fruit - Even the coconuts at nana plaza ain't that expensive!!

IT,S NOTHING TO DO WITH DROUTS , its all to do with development . HOUSINGdevelopments , that there knocking coconut plants down to build on

If the producer can't adjust the retail price who is adjusting it? Coconuts in my local market have risen from 15 to 25 baht ove the last month or two.

" The result is a shortage of coconuts, prompting prices to skyrocket to Bt2030 per fruit. "

dam_n that's some expensive fruit - Even the coconuts at nana plaza ain't that expensive!!

yep - then this - are there no proof readers in this paper? Its rawcoconut cost has increased from Bt78 to Bt20 per fruit.

It isn't the journalists fault, is it a typical issue with tools and content processing.

The real sentence says 'from Bt7-8 to Bt20 per fruit'.

So everyone can relax now.

The hint is where it says 'Bt2030' slightly above...(should be Bt20-30).

Here in Cambodia we have a plentifull supply of coconuts at 50cents to a buck , shelves full of assorted cooking oils a $3.50 per 2 litres and just about any other food stuff one requires at reasonable prices . Who once mentioned we would starve if the Thai border was closed ? Many vendors my wife deals with are moving over to Vietnam for steady supply and costs , yeah , I can see the raised eye-brows of the unbelievers .

Thailand , the hub of disorganised anything essential , slowely loosing thier # 1 world export status on many items due to incompetance and misguided sense of thier own superiority .

WOW!!! They spend more money for a coconut than one week's salary for an English teacher...and it shows.

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WOW!!! They spend more money for a coconut than one week's salary for an English teacher...and it shows.

Quite the bright lad for a person so misinformed are'nt we , and it stands out like a sore thumb .

Here in Cambodia we have a plentifull supply of coconuts at 50cents to a buck , shelves full of assorted cooking oils a $3.50 per 2 litres and just about any other food stuff one requires at reasonable prices . Who once mentioned we would starve if the Thai border was closed ? Many vendors my wife deals with are moving over to Vietnam for steady supply and costs , yeah , I can see the raised eye-brows of the unbelievers .

Thailand , the hub of disorganised anything essential , slowely loosing thier # 1 world export status on many items due to incompetance and misguided sense of thier own superiority .

many buyers ask me to supply coconut products from THailand and even when they can supply the baht is to strong and they ask to much. Also pesticides are creeping into some products as its largely unregulated and buyers rely on the lab tests to prove a clean product.

Thailand is not very competitive and is to confident - as a result we now supply from Indonesia as its much much cheaper