Thai Fruit Festival Scheduled for June 19-22 to Promote Domestic Consumption
The Department of Internal Trade organizes an event showcasing local fruits, highlighted by an all-you-can-eat durian buffet.
The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) of Thailand is set to host a Thai fruit festival from June 19 to 22 at Siam Square in Bangkok.
The festival is part of an initiative to promote domestic fruit consumption among consumers and enhance the income of farmers during the fruit harvest season.
Wittayakorn Maneenetr, the director-general of DIT, announced that the event will feature a durian buffet as a major attraction, aimed at appealing to young consumers and foreign tourists.
In addition to durians, the festival will showcase a variety of fresh and processed fruits sourced directly from farmers and entrepreneurs.
To further bolster domestic fruit sales, the DIT has collaborated with various fresh markets, wholesalers, and retail outlets, including Gourmet Market, Siam Paragon, Big C, and Central.
These partnerships will facilitate promotional campaigns running from June 4 to August 27, which will offer an array of seasonal fruits for consumers.
Private organizations are joining the efforts to support farmers during this peak season.
For example, certain gas station operators plan to buy fruit and provide it as complimentary gifts to customers, starting with mangoes.
Additionally, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries, and the Thai Bankers' Association are purchasing fruits as part of their corporate social responsibility programs aimed at assisting farmers.
Mr. Wittayakorn indicated that the DIT intends to distribute 300,000 fruit boxes to farmers in fruit cultivation regions, a move expected to help reduce their operating costs.
Logistics support for offline and online sales will be provided by Thailand Post.
Currently, around 78% of durians from eastern Thailand are available on the market, with prices showing improvement following eased export conditions due to reduced residue checks in China.
Pricing for durians is as follows: Grade AB is priced at 130 baht per kilogram, Grade C at 93 baht, and Grade D at 79 baht.
The harvest for mangosteen is at 50%, with current prices ranging between 30 to 89 baht per kilogram, depending on quality.
Similarly, rambutan harvests have reached 50%, with export prices set at 38 baht per kilogram and domestic prices at 27 baht.
The mango yield this year is reported to be abundant, with half of the crop already harvested.
DIT is actively coordinating with buyers to ensure the sourcing of mangoes from farmers, facilitating lower-priced Thong Fah (Blue Flag) events and distribution to government agencies, industrial estates, and communities.
Moreover, Forth Vending, which operates Tao Bin smart beverage vending machines, is purchasing fresh fruit directly from farmers for its smoothies and juices.
Discussions are ongoing between the DIT and AirAsia to support mango procurement from farmers.