Thailand exported over 1 million tonnes of fruit valued at 92 billion THB to China during the first half of this year, according to Thai government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

Durians are displayed on the shelves of a store in Bangkok. (Photo: Ministry of Commerce)

He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha aims to ramp up exports in various sectors and has laid down a policy to support fruit sales overseas.

Between January and June, Thai exports grew 12.7% from 2021 to exceed 149 billion USD (5.5 trillion THB), exceeding the original target of 4-5% for the year as a whole, the spokesman said on Friday, citing information from the Thai Commerce Ministry.

Exports of agricultural products and agro-industrial products contributed substantially to the growth of overall exports worth more than 26.5 billion USD last month, he said.

Citing information from the Department of Agriculture, Mr Thanakorn said that between Feb 1 and July 21, there were 64,903 shipments of fresh fruit to China, totalling 1.16 million tonnes and worth more than 92 billion THB.

These included the export of more than 670,000 tonnes of durian valued at 72 billion THB, which reflects Chinese consumers' confidence in the quality and taste of Thai fruit, he said.

In addition to durian, other fruits exported to China include coconut, mangosteen, longan, rambutan and pomelo, the spokesman said.

Moreover, the Department of Agriculture has launched an electronic phytosanitary certificate, or e-Phyto, which helps support and facilitate the export of fruits to China, Thanakorn said.

Source: VNA