The Phuket Provincial Agriculture Office is holding a ‘Phuket Durian Fair’ in front of its offices on Narisorn Rd in Phuket Town to promote locally grown durian and help boost incomes of local farmers. At the opening event on June 16, Phuket Agriculture Chief Suban Rakthong explained that Phuket was home to 789 households that were durian farmers.
About 80% of the durians grown on the island are local varieties, with the remaining 20% grown being Mongthong, Chanee and other varieties. Phuket durian farming yields 610 tons of the fruit a year, altogether valued at B53.68 million per year, he said.
"And the trend is rising," Suban said. "We hope farmers use more of their land to grow durian to replace other crops, as the current price is an incentive for farmers to grow more durians," he added.
Source: thephuketnews.com