Bangkok: Attakar', Minister of Agriculture, led the Fruit Board meeting, approving the quality longan orchard development project, investing 1,000 million baht, increasing A-AA grade longans, preparing to present to the Cabinet, confident in solving the problem sustainably. Mr. Atthakorn Sirilathayakorn, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed after chairing the 5/2025 Fruit Development and Management Committee meeting that the meeting approved the project to develop quality longan orchards, trim canopies/fruit clusters, and rehabilitate longan orchards to increase income and improve productivity, with an emphasis on creating long-term structural changes in both production and marketing to create stability in the longan orchard profession and consumer confidence in the global market.
According to Thai News Agency, support for pruning costs for canopies, branches, and fruit clusters, including production factors, is provided at a rate of 1,400 baht per rai, not exceeding 10 rai per household, under a budget of 1 billion baht, with the condition that farmers prune canopies/fruit clusters, restore orchards, and receive training in quality longan production. The target area is 600,000 rai in 8 northern provinces: Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Lampang, Tak, Phrae, and Nan, to increase the proportion of quality A and AA longan production, raise prices and farmers' incomes, which the Ministry of Agriculture will present to the Cabinet meeting soon.
Mr. Atthakorn stated that this project is a long-term assistance measure to help longan farmers improve their orchards to produce higher quality products, be able to compete sustainably in the global market, and generate more stable income than before. This is a solution to the problem that occurs every year to be more sustainable.
In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared urgent measures to cope with the large amount of produce coming to the market, including: 1. Loan measures for purchasing dried longan without interest, in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Promotion, the Department of Agriculture, and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC); 2. Measures to distribute fresh longan produce by the Marketing Organization for Farmers (ORTK), the Ministry of Education, modern trade companies, prisons, and private agencies; 3. Measures for online marketing and communication through key influencers (KOLs); 4. Measures for harvesting labor, in coordination with security agencies to facilitate the movement of harvesting labor.
Summary of fruit harvest results on July 22, 2025, which was found to be higher than last year, consisted of fresh longan clusters, yielding 67,653.44 tons (31.39%), average price 34.71 baht/kg., longan with fallen leaves, yielding 61,165.50 tons (11.65%), average price 24.23 baht/kg., durian yielding 270,693.56 tons (57.60%), average price 96 baht/kg., mangosteen yielding 64,325.24 tons (73.94%), average price 30 baht/kg., rambutan yielding 11,534.66 tons (33.99%), average price 38 baht/kg. and longkong yielding 329.05 tons. (3.41%) Average price 40 baht/kg.
Mr. Atthakorn emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture will closely monitor the situation of the produce and proceed with all measures to accelerate the distribution of produce, reduce the impact on prices, and raise production standards to compete in the world market. In addition, strictly control the contamination of prohibited substances, especially in durian exported to China. If any are found, decisive action will be taken to preserve the reputation of Thai fruits.