Fruit export push — Commerce targets THB179bn in 2026

The Commerce Ministry is accelerating efforts to boost Thai fruit exports, with a target of 179 billion baht this year, as eastern fruit, especially durian, begins entering the market from May 10 through June.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said she had instructed agencies to roll out measures ahead of the eastern fruit season, covering durian and other fruit varieties.

The ministry will intensify overseas marketing through both offline and online channels to help absorb supply, reduce the risk of oversupply during peak output, and stabilise prices before problems emerge.

Advance measures have already included business matching for fresh fruit, processed fruit and agricultural products on March 5. The activity brought together 101 Thai exporters and 90 importers from 18 countries, generating trade negotiation value of 3.12 billion baht.

A senior Commerce Ministry delegation also visited Hanoi and Lang Son in Vietnam, as well as Chongzuo and Nanning in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from April 23–25. The trip was aimed at facilitating transport and resolving potential obstacles before the 2026 fruit season, especially for shipments moving through northern Vietnam border checkpoints to southern China.

The ministry will next promote Thai fruit at Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2026, Southeast Asia’s largest food trade show, to be held from May 26–30 at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Fresh and processed fruit will be among the highlight products at the event.

China remains key market

Thailand will promote fruit in seven major Chinese cities under the Thai Tropical Fruits Golden Months campaign: Shanghai, Xiamen, Nanning, Chengdu, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Kunming.

The ministry will also expand to three new western Chinese markets: Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yuxi in Yunnan province, and Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Promotional activities will also be held in eight secondary Chinese cities: Nanchang in Jiangxi province; Baise and Liuzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Changsha in Hunan province; Shantou in Guangdong province; Hangzhou in Zhejiang province; Zhengzhou in Henan province; and Dalian in Liaoning province.

At the same time, the ministry will promote Thai fruit in promising new markets through department stores in South Korea, India and the United Arab Emirates.

Fresh and processed fruit will also be sold online through Thaitrade.com and TOPTHAI in cooperation with global partner platforms, including Amazon in the United States, Tmall and PUPU in China, Rakuten in Japan, Letstango in the UAE, HKTVmall in Hong Kong and Bigbasket in India.

“Through these measures and activities, the Commerce Ministry aims to push Thai fruit exports in 2026 to 179 billion baht, up 5% from 171.21 billion baht in 2025,” Suphajee said.

She added that China remains the main market for Thai fruit and will continue to be a priority, with measures to raise awareness, stimulate consumption and expand export markets.

Domestic market push

For the domestic market, the Department of Internal Trade has joined hands with CP Axtra, operator of Makro and Lotus’s, to buy durian from farmers for an all-you-can-eat eastern durian and fruit buffet priced at 599 baht per person.

The campaign is intended to help absorb fruit now entering the market. The department will also support distribution through central markets, fresh markets, online channels and private-sector partners, with a target to stimulate domestic consumption of 500,000 tonnes.

Makro and Lotus’s will act as links between farmers and consumers. This year, they aim to buy three times more durian from farmers than last year, when they purchased around 22,000 tonnes of durian and about 30,000 tonnes of fruit overall.

The buffet campaign will be available at Makro and Lotus’s branches nationwide, giving consumers access to quality durian while helping farmers distribute their produce.