Mr. Yukol Limlaemthong, acting Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister has laid down plans to deal with the surplus of lychee as about 60,000 tons of the produce is expected to flood the market.
The minister said that this year Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Nan Provinces, the main lychee production areas, are likely to produce 59,000 tons of lychees, an increase of 28.13% year-on-year. Mr. Yukol said that the nation’s lychee season falls from now to June 10th, adding that, with such a short period and such a massive supply, a careful distribution plan is needed.
The acting Deputy Prime Minister said the Marketing Organization for Farmers, the Department of Agricultural Extension, and the subcommittee on prevention of northern fruit problems are jointly organizing road shows to promote northern lychees in Udon Thani and Khon Kaen in the Northeast, and Samut Prakan, Ayutthaya and Bangkok in the central region.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agricultural Extension also planned to readjust the lychee production strategy in order to make sure that next year’s output would accurately respond to the demand in the market. It is also coordinating with related units in distributing the fruit to various markets in the country.
Source: National News Bureau of Thailand