Imports of Thai products into Tesco increased by 46 per cent this year as the UK’s number one supermarket threw its weight behind Thai produce for the second year running.
Exports worth 11.7 billion baht (£248,000) have arrived in Tesco in the last year with 6.3 billion baht - a 25 per cent increase - of that fresh produce.
Last year Tesco pledged to double exports of Thai produce to the Tesco Group from eight to 16 billion baht in the future.
Kitti Wasinondh, the Thai Ambassador to the UK, was the guest of honour at the celebratory event of a promotion supporting fresh Thai produce in Tesco stores in the UK last week.
Promotions have run alongside Thai produce in store with marketing materials on display and price promotions on products such as dragonfruit, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, long kong and longan.
Greg Sage, international corporate affairs director at Tesco Plc, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Thai producers and stock such wonderful Thai produce in our stores across the world. Many of our customers in the UK go to Thailand on holiday and enjoy the local fruits. It’s fantastic that we are able to offer such a great range of exotic fruits in so many of our UK stores.”
Wasinondh said: “British companies are some of the EU’s largest investors in Thailand and Tesco stands out as one of the most successful. As the market leader in the Thai grocery market, Tesco Lotus has a strong presence in our country yet it also has an excellent track record of significant investment, job creation and the introduction of environmentally friendly practices. Tesco’s work has greatly contributed to the increase in Thai agricultural exports to the UK and beyond.”
