As Thailand's durian and other fruits are being harvested in the country, farmers are overjoyed by the large number of orders from China. Fresh and frozen durians sent to China account for 66.94% of total exports in the first quarter of this year, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce. Furthermore, Thailand's total fruit exports are expected to grow 10 percent year-on-year due to strong demand in the Chinese market, according to Paiboon Wongchotesathit, president of Thai Fresh Fruit Traders and Exporters Association.
More than 200 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is Chanthaburi, a province famous for its variety of fruits. Longan is one of the fruits that Chanthaburi has an abundance of. The Longan meat over there high quality and succulent, almost all of which are exported to China.
In order to facilitate the process of Thai fruit entering the Chinese market, China has issued a number of policies. Recently, Pingxiang railway port and Dongxing port have been newly added in Guangxi, China, as ports of entry for Thai fruits exported to China via a third country. There are altogether 3 ports, including the original Friendship Pass port, that can transport Thai fruits exported to China through a third country.
Thailand's deputy minister of agriculture Thamanat Prompow told the reporter that the epidemic has caused a serious impact on the country's economy, "In this difficult time, Chinese enterprises and Thai fruit farmers have stayed together to tide over the difficulties. This is an invaluable friendship."