Udon Thani farmers face mango oversupply due to Russia-Ukraine war
Farmers in Udon Thani’s Nong Wua So district have been able to export only 2,000 tonnes of the 10,000 tonnes of mangos harvested due to several countries limiting cargo flights amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
Udon Thani Provincial Commerce Office chief Prasert Faichaona said on Wednesday that Nongwuasor district has seen the highest output of mangos in 10 years and is expected to harvest up to 15,000 tonnes in May.
“The three kinds of mangos that are in high demand in foreign markets are Barracuda, Fah Lan and Phet Ban Lad. But only 2,000 tonnes have been exported, so the rest will have to be distributed to domestic markets,” he said.
“The commerce office has been working with relevant authorities to find sales channels for these mangos, such as weekend markets, shopping malls, and Blue Flag shops nationwide.”
Prasert said the biggest customers for Thai mangos are Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and European fruit resellers.
“China used to order several thousand tonnes per year, but this year they have decreased their orders drastically due to a lower number of cargo flights and restrictions on imported produce imposed by the Chinese government in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19,” he added.