The secretary of Thailand's Office for Agriculture and Economy announced the 2018 report on the production volume of 4 tropical fruits in major production areas in 7 provinces in southern Thailand. The 7 provinces expect bumper harvests for longkong fruit, rambutan, durian, and mangosteen. The overall production volume is estimated at 440,600 tons, which is an increase of 80% in comparison with the 195 thousand tons of last year. The longkong fruit production increased by 870%, mangosteen by 125%, rambutan by 75%, and durian by 50%.
Thai durian
The reasons for this bumper harvest are the continued expansion of plantations, and abundant rainfall and sunshine. This year the overall plantation area of these 4 tropical fruits in the 7 provinces increased by 0.6% in comparison with last year. Durian plantations alone increased by 7%, but the plantation area of mangosteen, longkong fruit, and rambutan decreased. The reason for this development is probably the high demand for durian.
This year, the key question for government surveillance is how to guarantee the quality of durian on the market, and how to avoid complaints or health problems. The bumper harvest in southern Thailand also compensates for the reduced production volume in the southeast. It is estimated that the supply and demand of durian and mangosteen respectively will be in balance this year.
Source: thaizhonghua.com