Thailand’s director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department (ITPD), Srirat Rastapana, has stated that the country’s exports of frozen and dried fruit and vegetables are anticipated to sustain a growth rate of 10 per cent from 2012.
This forecast export rate is estimated to generate approximately US$1.56bn in revenue.
Rastapana stated that during January and February this year, Thailand exported 258,573 tonnes of frozen and dried fruit and vegetables. This was valued at more than US$186m, registering a 20 per cent increase from the same period in 2012 which is equivalent to 0.5 per cent of the country’s total exports.
Thailand’s primary export markets are China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Japan and the US. These countries’ combined imports of Thai produce comprise more than 78 per cent of the country’s total exports.
Other markets have seen a significant rise in recent years, with exports to Australia, Pakistan and the Netherlands increasing sharply by 65, 130 and 138 per cent respectively for 2012.
Despite its current successes so far this year, Thailand’s ITPD is worried that exports of unripe durian may damage the country’s reputation as an exporter of quality produce.
Some operators are reportedly seeking to sell the produce before it is ready in an effort to increase their profits.
Thailand exported fresh and frozen durians worth US$201m in 2012, up 29 per cent from the previous year, with earnings surpassed only by longans.
The country generated US$21m from exports of fresh and frozen durians during the January and February this year.
