According to Mr Nattapon Suewatanakul, owner of Siam Fresh, a company devoted to the supply of tropical fruits from associated growers, demand for Thai mangoes has been fine so far. "Production has been bad, as due to climate change there have been shortages of water and raw materials and the season arrived very late. The situation is the same for both Nam Dok Mai and Maha Chanok mangoes."
He affirms that the fruit goes mostly to Europe, mainly Austria, and normally, the supply is carried out from 48 to 50 weeks, but already 4 weeks so far have had to be skipped. “We had to send a letter to explain the situation, but of course they understand these are natural factors beyond our control. The whole of Thailand has been affected, from north to south.”
On a more positive note, the dry weather conditions have been ideal for the cultivation of lychees. As a result, “This year we have exported a lot of lychees and this has helped us to compensate supermarkets for the mango situation,” states Mr Suewatanakul.
Despite this difficult context, Siam Fresh continues striving to offer the best quality fruit. In order to meet Europe’s demanding quality and phytosanitary requirements, the mangoes undergo a hot water treatment, but they also carry out marketing campaigns to show what to look for in mangoes and when they can be consumed. "All in all customers are happy with our produce and that’s why we can continue going.”
For more information:
Siam Fresh
Nattapon Suewatanakul
Tel 0066-2368-4319 ext 109
Email [email protected]