The Agriculture Council wants to supports farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan to plant ‘Siam Gold (MD2) pineapple as foreign markets, especially Japan, South Korea, China, want to buy these pineapples as fresh fruit. Export is currently limited and the domestic production is not large enough to sustain production.
MD2 pineapples with a weight of 1.5 – 2 kilograms attract prices as high as 20-25 THB per kilogram. Prachuap Khiri Khan has the largest pineapple plantation area in the country; nearly 5 hundred thousand rai, but farmers have preferred to grow pineapples to send canned pineapple factories.
Pineapples suitable for canning have a current price of 7.50 – 8 THB per kilogram, but it is expected that this price will fall with oversupply, while the overseas markets for fresh pineapples continue to grow.
But there is a problem in marketing varieties that attract the higher prices with lack of continuity in the production of fruit with standard sizes and a consistent flavour. Farmers also lack confidence without a marketing plan.
For export to foreign markets, MD2 pineapples can be stored at normal temperatures longer than other species and there are fewer disease issues. For the export market in Japan, it was found that the Philippines exported more than 100,000 tons of pineapple MD2 per year. It is expected that cost of purchasing this species can be lowered.
