Bangkok: The Minister of Agriculture chaired the Fruit Board meeting to assess the production outlook and forecast for fruit trees in the Eastern region in 2025. It was observed that production is likely to increase from the previous year due to favorable weather conditions. The minister directed strict enforcement of fruit export standards, affirmed the availability of BY2 labs for the durian production season, and prioritized the expansion of the fresh longan export market to the Philippines. According to Thai News Agency, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Narumon Pinyosinwat, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, highlighted that the Fruit Development and Management Committee (Fruit Board) has been closely monitoring the production situation and forecast data for various fruit trees, including durian, mangosteen, rambutan, and longkong in the Eastern region for 2025. The projected trend indicates an increase in production compared to the previous year, attributed to favorable weather conditions for fruit tree growth. In the Northern region, longan production is expected to hit the market in August with approximately 38.63 percent, while lychee production is anticipated to be released by May, accounting for approximately 60.80 percent. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is preparing to negotiate the opening of new markets to ensure the alignment of farmers' produce with market demand, thereby mitigating the impact of agricultural product concentration. In addition to these initiatives, the Ministry is also focusing on research to develop high-value agricultural plant strains, ensuring farmers have access to robust, disease-resistant seedlings and enhancing the quality of agricultural products. The Fruit Board meeting also reviewed progress in addressing export challenges for three key Thai fruits: durian, longan, and mango. The Ministry of Agriculture has previously outlined measures to tackle export hurdles, providing guidelines for farmers and entrepreneurs to uphold safety standards for exported agricultural products. These measures include monitoring and prevention throughout the production process, ensuring compliance with chemical residue and pest control criteria set by trading partners, and implementing the Big Cleaning measure to prevent chemical contamination in durian products, thereby bolstering consumer confidence domestically and internationally. The Minister emphasized that for durian exports, there are currently 13 laboratories capable of testing BY2 substances, with a capacity to process 3,000 samples daily, adequately supporting the testing requirements before export. For longans, discussions have been initiated to open the fresh longan export market to the Philippines, thereby expanding marketing opportunities. All sectors have been instructed to rigorously adhere to established measures to maintain standards and elevate the quality of Thai agricultural products.
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