Chanthaburi: Summer storms battered durian orchards in several areas of Chanthaburi province just before harvest, causing damage to the crop. Minister Supajee ordered an urgent assessment of the damage and coordination of compensation efforts. She also instructed officials to engage buyers and businesses to purchase and process the durians to minimize losses and support farmers' income.
According to Thai News Agency, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Supajee Suthamphan, revealed that she has instructed the Chanthaburi Provincial Commerce Office to coordinate with the governor to survey the damage as soon as possible. She also instructed the Ministry of Interior to expedite discussions on ways to assist and compensate affected farmers.
For durian that was affected but still has good quality and is marketable, with a dry weight percentage exceeding 30%, the Ministry of Commerce will coordinate with buyers and businesses to select the produce from the orchards for processing, especially making fried durian, in order to reduce losses and generate income for farmers. Meanwhile, for durian that remains on the trees and is not damaged, the Department of Internal Trade will provide special attention by coordinating with buyers to purchase the produce directly from the orchards, creating a market and helping farmers sell their produce continuously throughout the season.
Furthermore, the Provincial Commerce Office, in collaboration with relevant agencies, has sorted durians according to their level of damage for appropriate processing, such as producing ice cream or durian flour, in order to increase their value and reduce product loss. Durians that cannot be sold or processed will be managed appropriately to prevent low-quality produce from entering the market and to maintain consumer confidence in Thai durian.
"We confirm that we will expedite assistance and find markets to support the produce to the best of our ability, so that farmers can overcome this situation as quickly as possible," said Ms. Supajee.