Origin Of Vegetables Sold In Supermarkets

[poochai]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

[mallyrd]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

[zzaa09]

If one has to inquire, than it might be best to shop at your local traditional markets.

[kerryk]

In case you don't speak the ThaiVisaese language. The interpretation of the last two posts is “I don't have a clue but I wanted to sound smart and try and make you feel small.”

[Semper]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

To tell you the truth, I don't know and probably no one else on the forum. You should ask the superviser/man in charge.

[ExpatOilWorker]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

Not always. A lot of apples and garlic are cheap imports from China.

The cheaper imports of garlic and onions from China in the wake of the agreement have put nearly 40 percent of Thai farmers out of business, says FTA Watch, a group made up of Thai activists opposed to such free trade deals. “About 50,000 farming household have been affected.’’

[The Thailand-China agreement] has had an appreciable impact in the sectors covered. The “appreciable impact” has been to wipe out northern Thai producers of garlic and red onions and to cripple the sale of temperate fruit and vegetables from the Royal projects.

A case in point is the agreement with China to eliminate completely tariffs on 116 types of fruit and vegetables. This came into effect on October 1, 2003. Within a year, imports from China surged by 180% resulting in a plunge in prices of most temperate fruits and vegetables in the domestic market by 30-50%. It is estimated that 100,000 farming families or 500,000 people have been negatively impacted by this surge in cheap imports, thereby affecting their access to food and nutritional input. Some, like garlic and onion growers, have suffered especially severe effects with their livelihoods threatened. Despite warnings by academics, the government had chosen not to take any safeguard measures.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/10/24/a-flood-of-chinese-garlic/

Edited August 31, 2011 by ExpatOilWorker

[kerryk]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

To tell you the truth, I don't know and probably no one else on the forum. You should ask the superviser/man in charge.

If the person in charge is a woman should we still ask? And what should we do if they don't know? How will we know they are telling the truth?

[katana]

In case you don't speak the ThaiVisaese language. The interpretation of the last two posts is “I don't have a clue but I wanted to sound smart and try and make you feel small.”

lol

[poochai]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

A case in point is the agreement with China to eliminate completely tariffs on 116 types of fruit and vegetables. This came into effect on October 1, 2003. Within a year, imports from China surged by 180% resulting in a plunge in prices of most temperate fruits and vegetables in the domestic market by 30-50%. It is estimated that 100,000 farming families or 500,000 people have been negatively impacted by this surge in cheap imports, thereby affecting their access to food and nutritional input. Some, like garlic and onion growers, have suffered especially severe effects with their livelihoods threatened. Despite warnings by academics, the government had chosen not to take any safeguard measures.

This is bad news for us who live in Thailand and have to eat Chinese-grown fruits and vegetables. They carry excessive amounts of pesticides and banned chemicals.

[lovelaos]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

A case in point is the agreement with China to eliminate completely tariffs on 116 types of fruit and vegetables. This came into effect on October 1, 2003. Within a year, imports from China surged by 180% resulting in a plunge in prices of most temperate fruits and vegetables in the domestic market by 30-50%. It is estimated that 100,000 farming families or 500,000 people have been negatively impacted by this surge in cheap imports, thereby affecting their access to food and nutritional input. Some, like garlic and onion growers, have suffered especially severe effects with their livelihoods threatened. Despite warnings by academics, the government had chosen not to take any safeguard measures.

This is bad news for us who live in Thailand and have to eat Chinese-grown fruits and vegetables. They carry excessive amounts of pesticides and banned chemicals.

Don't eat them then!

[Kilgore Trout]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

A case in point is the agreement with China to eliminate completely tariffs on 116 types of fruit and vegetables. This came into effect on October 1, 2003. Within a year, imports from China surged by 180% resulting in a plunge in prices of most temperate fruits and vegetables in the domestic market by 30-50%. It is estimated that 100,000 farming families or 500,000 people have been negatively impacted by this surge in cheap imports, thereby affecting their access to food and nutritional input. Some, like garlic and onion growers, have suffered especially severe effects with their livelihoods threatened. Despite warnings by academics, the government had chosen not to take any safeguard measures.

This is bad news for us who live in Thailand and have to eat Chinese-grown fruits and vegetables. They carry excessive amounts of pesticides and banned chemicals.

And you think the Thai farming industry is better regulated

[Semper]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

To tell you the truth, I don't know and probably no one else on the forum. You should ask the superviser/man in charge.

If the person in charge is a woman should we still ask? And what should we do if they don't know? How will we know they are telling the truth?

Just buy the product.

[scorecard]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

To tell you the truth, I don't know and probably no one else on the forum. You should ask the superviser/man in charge.

If the person in charge is a woman should we still ask? And what should we do if they don't know? How will we know they are telling the truth?

If you mean the lady (or man) staff member who is hanging around the refrigerator cabinets / tables etc in the supermarket, somehow I doubt they would know the answer, have never thought about it, and being Thai they will say something that they think will make you happy.

Companies in Thailand (and not only Thailand) tell their staff nothing.

Seems to me the people who could answer this question are the purchasing staff who you will not see hanging around the actual display stands, and are possibly in a head office or perhaps regional office.

Actually I like the question, I often wonder how clean / how many chemicals are on vegetables and fruits in supermarkets. This has been discussed many times in our house, my Thai family say buying at a local fresh market is a lot cheaper but is definitely not a guarantee of no or less chemicals. In fact some comment that there is a better chance that vegetables / fruit bought at lotus etc will be (hopefully) free of banned chemicals, whereas some farmers who sell only at local fresh markets have no hesitation to use all chemicals, and there's also a high probability that many of them have close to zero knowledge about dangerous pesticides / what chemicals are banned, etc etc.

My Thai adult son says there have been several cases of govt. agencies checking the claims on some nicely packaged vegetables which say they are chemical free / grown by hydro-phonic methods etc., which have concluded that the details on packaging are far from the truth.

Edited September 1, 2011 by scorecard

[kerryk]

If they are expensive then they are imported, if the price is reasonable then they are local.

Not always. A lot of apples and garlic are cheap imports from China.

The cheaper imports of garlic and onions from China in the wake of the agreement have put nearly 40 percent of Thai farmers out of business, says FTA Watch, a group made up of Thai activists opposed to such free trade deals. “About 50,000 farming household have been affected.’’

[The Thailand-China agreement] has had an appreciable impact in the sectors covered. The “appreciable impact” has been to wipe out northern Thai producers of garlic and red onions and to cripple the sale of temperate fruit and vegetables from the Royal projects.

A case in point is the agreement with China to eliminate completely tariffs on 116 types of fruit and vegetables. This came into effect on October 1, 2003. Within a year, imports from China surged by 180% resulting in a plunge in prices of most temperate fruits and vegetables in the domestic market by 30-50%. It is estimated that 100,000 farming families or 500,000 people have been negatively impacted by this surge in cheap imports, thereby affecting their access to food and nutritional input. Some, like garlic and onion growers, have suffered especially severe effects with their livelihoods threatened. Despite warnings by academics, the government had chosen not to take any safeguard measures.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/10/24/a-flood-of-chinese-garlic/

Just to show you what a ThaiVisa player I am, I went to Lotus and checked on the price of the Chinese garlic and shallots as opposed to Thai garlic and shallots. There was about a 10 baht difference in favor of the Chinese product for a handful. The Thai product looked and smelled better being what I would call small elephant garlic and more round in shape than the Chinese garlic which was banana shaped. I bought the Thai product because it looked and smelled better and I had an extra 10 baht to spend.

[kerryk]

Are green leafy vegetables, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, etc. that one buys in supermarkets (Tesco Lotus, Big C) imported or local produce?

To tell you the truth, I don't know and probably no one else on the forum. You should ask the superviser/man in charge.

If the person in charge is a woman should we still ask? And what should we do if they don't know? How will we know they are telling the truth?

If you mean the lady (or man) staff member who is hanging around the refrigerator cabinets / tables etc in the supermarket, somehow I doubt they would know the answer, have never thought about it, and being Thai they will say something that they think will make you happy.

Companies in Thailand (and not only Thailand) tell their staff nothing.

Seems to me the people who could answer this question are the purchasing staff who you will not see hanging around the actual display stands, and are possibly in a head office or perhaps regional office.

Actually I like the question, I often wonder how clean / how many chemicals are on vegetables and fruits in supermarkets. This has been discussed many times in our house, my Thai family say buying at a local fresh market is a lot cheaper but is definitely not a guarantee of no or less chemicals. In fact some comment that there is a better chance that vegetables / fruit bought at lotus etc will be (hopefully) free of banned chemicals, whereas some farmers who sell only at local fresh markets have no hesitation to use all chemicals, and there's also a high probability that many of them have close to zero knowledge about dangerous pesticides / what chemicals are banned, etc etc.

My Thai adult son says there have been several cases of govt. agencies checking the claims on some nicely packaged vegetables which say they are chemical free / grown by hydro-phonic methods etc., which have concluded that the details on packaging are far from the truth.

I asked the produce lady who readily identified the Chinese garlic and shallots as opposed to the Thai garlic and shallots. She also told me the Thai was better. She was very polite and also knew her phone number.