FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Fruit certification speeded up to sweeten Chinese market

Fruit certification speeded up to sweeten Chinese market

The Department of Agriculture has paved the way for increasing the value of Thai fruit exports to the Kingdom's biggest market, China, by meeting the standards set by that country.

The department will facilitate Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification for exporters, especially during the golden period of durian and mangosteen production in the South. Failing to meet the standards could lead to loss of shipments.
Currently 425 southern fruit-packing plants have already been certified.

Fruit certification speeded up to sweeten Chinese market


Department chief Sermsuk Salakpetch explained that Thailand currently exports 22 kinds of fruit to China valued at around Bt10 billion per year, especially durian, longan and mangosteen that are the favourites of Chinese customers. The two countries have agreed to share information lists of gardens and fruit-packing plants for mango, durian, longan, lychee and mangosteen. Meanwhile, China is sending the same information for apple, pear, orange and jujube to Thailand.
However, in a bid to raise the food safety standards of mutual fruit imports and exports, together with enhancing traceability so that an order to ban a shipment can be done on a case-by-case basis, the two countries have reached a food safety agreement for five kinds of fruit exported to the Thai and Chinese markets.
Based on agreed practices, fruit exports to the Thai and Chinese markets must clarify the registration number of the fruit packing plant’s Phytosanitary Certificate, together with mentioning the registration number of the plant and garden on all pieces of packaging. The agreement was reached on July 1 this year.
If there is any violation of the practices, that shipment will be returned to the place of origin, or destroyed in case of disease-infected fruit or if insects are found. In that case, the warning will be issued to Thailand, and China is authorised to temporarily suspend imports until the problem is verified and measures are taken to prevent it.
The department recently met with senior officials from the General Administration of Customs in Beijing to discuss the export issue by asking China to more frequently update names of certified gardens and fruit-packing plants than the current practice of once every three months, as a delay in updating information could damage Thailand’s fruit export business.
It also explained the country’s process of fruit-packing plant and garden registration, saying that some of them were in the process of registration.
Meanwhile, Wirat Thambamrung, director of the Office of Agricultural Research and Development Region 7 at the Department of Agriculture, said that officials have offered assistance to farmers and entrepreneurs for easier access to the registration procedure. They are now putting focus on durian and mangosteen to make them in line with the Chinese agreement on fruit exports.
He further added that sampling checks for GAP were done on durian at the plant to ensure they met the standard. A similar procedure is being followed for the plant’s licence renewal to make sure that all things meet GMP requirements.
Based on the office’s information, as of July 30, 425 of 461 fruit-packing plants had been certified. 
“With our strict regulations, including GAP registration and packing-plant certification in the southern provinces, we can bring more fruit to the domestic and international markets,” he said. He added that the market’s acceptance of the country’s high quality and premium standards will help the fruits fetch a good price.

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