Close to Bt500 million allocated to prop up Thailand’s fruit industry

BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): In a teleconference with Thailand’s fruit board, Alongkorn Polabutr, adviser to the agriculture and cooperatives minister, confirmed plans for expanding both local and international markets for the country’s fruit industry.

The fruit board has earmarked Bt492 million for increasing sales channels for fruit growers as well as launching promotion campaigns.

It is also planning link up with the Chinese rail link via Laos as well as link up with markets in South Korea, Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The traceability system will also be improved to ensure consumers’ confidence.

Thailand’s fruit sector has been badly affected in the fallout of Covid-19, while the Office of Agricultural Economics has predicted that the fruit harvest this year will rise by 24 per cent.

The meeting also agreed to include another 160 farming households in the 2020 Farmers’ Remedy Project, bringing the number of households covered up to 202,173. - The Nation/Asia News Network