Thai fruits head for the Olympics

The strategy focuses on encouraging food chains, restaurants, English consumers, and tourists to consume more Thai fruits on various occasions. It will also promote the uniqueness and quality of tropical fruits from Thailand amidst higher demand for tropical fruits from Asia.
Chulit Stavorn, executive director of Thai Trade Centre in London, said that the in-store promotion measure, in cooperation with Tesco – the United Kingdom’s largest wholesaler and retailer – would help boost export opportunities for Thai fruits.
Chulit said that Thai fruit exports to the UK will achieve US$4 million (Bt124 million) this year. Thai fruit imports by Tesco alone should be worth not less than Bt10 million.
Although the export value of Thai fresh fruits to Britain is still less compared with other products, shipments are expected to increase this year due to higher demand, in particular for the Olympic Games in London.
More than 900,000 tourists are expected to visit the British capital for the Games. However, even before the event, more tourists have also gradually travelled to the city and other cities in UK.
The in-store promotion campaign of Thai fruits should help promote more recognition and demand for consumption, he said.
The centre, with Tesco, will organise in-store promotion of Thai fruits at 212 Tesco branches in London, starting today until June 1. Fruits that would be highlighted at the event include Nam dok mai mango, Mahachanok mango, mangosteen, rambutan, and Southern langsat.
According to a report of the International Trade Promotion Department, export of Thai fruits to the world market was valued at US$962.63 million last year, a 76.99-per-cent jump. Exports in the first quarter of this year rose 35.2 per cent to $166.17 million.
Total shipments to the UK were valued at $3.88 billion, up by 6.26 per cent last year. However, overall exports to the market in the first quarter of this year dropped by 11.89 per cent to $878.2 million.