Thailand expects to export about a million tonnes of durian, worth an estimated 130 billion baht, this year. Most of it will be imported by China, according to Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao.
On Saturday, the agriculture minister instructed the Fruits Board to meet with durian farmers, durian sorters and cutters, entrepreneurs, sorting and packing plant operators, exporters and the Agriculture and Agricultural Extension and Cooperative Promotion departments, to ensure that the durian for export meets quality standards and China’s GAP requirements.
Thammanat said that he has instructed the Agriculture Department to enhance quality control management and to issue phytosanitary certificates to those involved in durian exports to China, including farmers, sorting and packing plants and exporters who meet the requirements.
He also said that the Royal Irrigation Department has been instructed to manage irrigation systems, to ensure sufficient water for durian orchards in Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat provinces, which are the major areas of durian production in Thailand.
The Agriculture Department has also been instructed to find ways to reduce the cost of fertiliser and pesticides for durian farmers, he added.
Regarding the smuggling of cheap durian from neighbouring countries, for export disguised as Thai durian, Thammanat said that a special task force will deal with this problem directly, to protect the reputation of Thai durian.
Rapeephat Chantarasriwong, director-general of the Agriculture Department, said that more than 64,000 hectares of durian orchards in the eastern provinces have registered with the Chinese customs office and have been issued with GAP certificates, which will facilitate the export of their durian into China.
