FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

How EEC, PTT and Rayong plan to ensure price stability of durians

How EEC, PTT and Rayong plan to ensure price stability of durians

The Eastern Economic Corridor has linked up with PTT Plc and Rayong Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) to launch a project for price stability of durians in the eastern province.

EEC Policy Office secretary-general Kanit Sangsubhan signed a memorandum of understanding with Piya Pitutecha, Rayong PAO governor, and Charnsak Chuenchom, deputy managing director of PTT, on the price stability project. The signing took place at the Rayong PAO office on Thursday.

The ceremony was witnessed by representatives of concerned government agencies and representatives of major durian growers in Rayong.

Kanit said the project would guarantee that the price of durian in Rayong would have stability and would not fall too sharply when the markets are flooded with the fruit.

Kanit said the Rayong PAO would spend THB100 million to buy quality durians, which are fresh and safe for consumption, to be distributed to consumers around the country.

The PTT will assist the project by providing cold storage facilities that could freeze some 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes of durians in case they are oversupplied. The frozen durians would later be sold during the off-season so their prices would not fall too much.

Kanit said the EEC Policy Committee would help by finding market channels for the partners, such as checking with fruit processing factories to see if they need durians for their plant. The EEC Policy Office would also find market channels among tourism businesses in the eastern province, Kanit added.

He said durians are one of five major fruit clusters that the EEC Policy Office aims to develop in the eastern provinces.

The office will help the growers of durians to find markets and will assist them to use technology to add value or add products.

For example, the EEC Policy Office has joined hands with the National Science and Technology Development Agency to develop automatic watering system for durian orchards.

The office is urging durian growers to use Magik Growth polymer bags, developed by the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre, for wrapping durians. He said the wrapping bags helped durian peels to be some 30 per cent thinner, and the meat of the fruits increased by 20 to 25 per cent.

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