Amid Covid-19 crisis in 2020, fruit exports savour sweet smell of success
Thailand’s fruit export in 2020 grew 13.45 per cent year on year despite the pandemic, Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) director-general Somdet Susomboon said on Friday.
“In 2020, total export of fresh, dried and frozen fruit amounted to Bt128.33 billion, increasing from Bt113.11 billion in 2019,” he said.
“This is thanks to the signing of a memorandum of understanding on Covid-19 prevention best practices between the Commerce, Public Health, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Interior ministries, who have initiated a campaign to promote Thailand’s products as safe and free from Covid-19 among foreign customers.”
“The DITP also promotes the improvement of manufacturing and packaging process among exporters to help them meet international standards and establish Thai fruit as premium-grade products in the global market,” he added.
Total export volume of fruit in 2020 was 2,138,698 tonnes. Fresh fruit accounted for 1,645,505 tonnes, or Bt104.25 billion, up 15.44 per cent year on year. Dried fruit exports were 448,612 tonnes with total value of Bt16.01 billion, down 0.23 per cent year on year and frozen fruit exports totalled 44,581 tonnes with total value of Bt8.06 billion, up 18.09 per cent year on year.
Thailand’s major fruit export markets are China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan and the United States.