Drought pushes up major fruit prices

BANGKOK: -- The long drought that plagued the eastern region has now seen effects on major fruits with prices now going up 200%.

Permanent secretary of Commerce Ms Chutima Boonyaprapat said the drought has now affected the production of fruits in the eastern region with production falling about 20%.

She said four major top selling fruits namely longkong, durian, mangosteen, and rambutan have a combined production of only 600,000 tonnes for the year, lower than last year’s of almost 700,000 tonnes.

This has resulted in the increase in the price of fruit exports, particularly durians to 100-120 baht per kilo from the previous year’s price of 45 baht per kilo, she said.

Meanwhile, higher demand from China has also pushed up price of fruits, she said.

The Commerce Ministry yesterday set up “Chanthaburi Model” to resolve the problem of “Long Chin” or Chinese fruit screening and packaging factories from taking advantage of fruit farmers in Chanthaburi province, and to protect the image of Thai fruits in overseas markets when these Chinese packaging firms exported low quality fruits abroad.

Long Chin is a joint venture between Chinese and Thais with major business in buying and screening fruits from fruit farmers for export.

Earlier fruit farmers have lodged complaint with authorities that this new business have oppressed them of prices for their fruits.

The number of these joint venture packaging factories has now risen from 80 to 150.

Under the model, soldiers will also join with local officials to make sure that these major fruits must be timely harvested and meet quality standard before exported.

The operation of these factories will also be kept under close watch that they fairly treat farmers.

Besides, the state will closely monitor the quality of the produce packaged for exports by these Long Chin to ensure that quality fruits are exported, otherwise Thailand could lose its overseas markets if the quality was abused.

She said authorities have found smuggled mangosteen from Indonesia and reexported them under Thailand’s Chanthaburi fruit brand.

This practise could seriously damagedl the reputation of Thai mangosteen as smuggled fruit has lower quality, she said.

She said authorities will stamp out such practise but exporters and tough legal action will be taken against them.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/163213


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-13

Those Chinese ' packing ' packing factories are nothing but a front to select the best fruits of the region

and send them to China to meet the ever growing demands of the new rich class in Thailand,

while Thailand thinks that this is for the benefits of the thai farmers and people,

China will no to a thing if the end results will not be for it's benefit, so beware Thailand from the hugs

of the Chinese dragon....

"...production falling about 20%...prices now going up 200%..."

Sounds like the middlemen are gouging the mathematically challenged public again. Time to hear the government's promises to reel in the culprits, while absolutely nothing changes...Other than a few more officials driving a new Mercedes.

"...production falling about 20%...prices now going up 200%..."

Sounds like the middlemen are gouging the mathematically challenged public again. Time to hear the government's promises to reel in the culprits, while absolutely nothing changes...Other than a few more officials driving a new Mercedes.

Most housewives that shop in the markets of Thailand are certainly NOT mathematically challenged. They can tell you the price that they paid per kilo for an item going back a month or more without the use of receipts.

They also know who has the freshest food, the best prices and the best times to visit the stalls.

Many order a few days ahead and the stuff is waiting for them.

My wife quite often does that for me if there is something specific that I want.

I thought the government was protecting the public from price increases, There is one good way to teach these rip off merchants a lesson just dont buy it for 3 weeks.

This rought is affecting the entire Mekong River basin.....all the way from China throuegh Vietnam, Cambodia. Laos. and Thailand.

As always the Thai government is only concerned with it's own little slice of the bigger problem.

What fruits? There are hardly any fruits (or decent vegetables) available here in Bangkok.

Reminds me of the major price hike during and after the Bangkok floods, they never went down.

The cost of coconuts in Macro has gone up from Thb18 to Thb49 ! Roadside sellers are up to Thb35. The drought is having a severe social effect as the small fruit stalls can't get produce, which will put them out of work.

Huge price increase in veggies - bitter gourd 40 Bt last month now 200

Chillies way up and long beans too.

I thought the government was protecting the public from price increases, There is one good way to teach these rip off merchants a lesson just dont buy it for 3 weeks.

How often do you use the markets?

How is a housewife/worker/family supposed to live for 3 weeks without buying food?

Most of the markets that I and my family use are run by local stall holders some of whom sell their own produce and some buy in for resale.

If nobody buys from them then they will not be there after 2 weeks and you will then HAVE to pay a higher price or go without.

Not everybody in Thailand is a rich farang who only buys from Villa.

Huge price increase in veggies - bitter gourd 40 Bt last month now 200

Chillies way up and long beans too.

All fruit and veg need water and if the seller has to buy water at 10 or 20 times the price what do you expect them to do?

a lot of small farmers in Chanthaburi desperatly need the rains to save there trees,some with next to zero crop this year,were having to buy in water

to keep our 300 trees from dying,devastaing for these small farmers