Chiang Mai’s strawberry fields eye record online harvest
Chiang Mai’s “Strawberry Fields” district today launches its annual harvest festival, with farmers targeting a whopping Bt360 million in sales this year – much of it online.
Samoeng district produces more than 12,000 tons of fresh strawberries every year from over 4,000 rai of fields, district chief Natakorn Pattarawanon said on Friday.
“Visitors can buy strawberries at local farms or purchase them online,” he said as the February 11-15 festival opened under tight Covid-19 controls.
The online market for Samoeng strawberries has become “really busy this year”, confirmed Apirat Massarat.
Apirat, who heads the local Bo Kaew Community Enterprise of strawberry producers, said Covid-19 forced growers online last year but this meant they no longer had to pay for middlemen to distribute their produce.
Transport companies set up pick-up points in the district and increased sales have boosted the local economy.
“Samoeng district should be able to sell at least Bt360 million worth of strawberries this year,” Apirat said.
