BANGKOK, May 21 (TNA) – The Khao Kitchakut Cooperative produces freeze dried durian for export to China and the value-added durian products can stabilize the fruit prices, said a senior agriculture official.
Director-General of Cooperative Promotion Department, Pichet Wiriyapaha said the Khao Kitchakut Agricultural Cooperative was funded 25 million baht under the government’s Thai Niyom Yangyuen programme.
The state fund, together with the coop budget of 12 million baht was used to build cold storage room and freeze dried processing facilities, which started operation in April for the current fruit harvest season.
It can produce 2,000 tonnes of freeze dried durian per year for export to China, which has high demand for durian products, he said.
The coop bought fresh durians with defects in size or shape but still of good quality for freeze dried processing.
The operation of such a cooperative can stabilize the fruit prices and helps the government save the budget for fruit subsidy of at least 100 million baht a year, said the director –general.
San Nakwiboonwong, a manager of a fruit export company, buying freeze dried durian from the Khao Kitchakut coop said that this is the first year the company has exported freeze dried durian to China and the products have been well-responded by Chinese consumers.
Besides China, the company also opened a new market in Indonesia and South Korea. (TNA)
