Ripe Durian Day set for April 10

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

APRIL 10, 2021 has been officially scheduled as the Ripe Durian Day – a rarely-noted, yet sustained effort on the part of the authorities to deter the illegal sales of unripe fruits.

In the face of news reports of unripe durian being offered at incredibly low prices at markets and roadside stalls by cash-strapped farmers and rogue dealers, the Department of Agriculture was prompted to declare the Ripe Durian Day on April 10 with intent to discourage purchases of unripe durian by unsuspecting customers, said Cholathee Nunum, chief of the department’s Office of Agricultural Research and Development Area 6, based in Chanthaburi.

Despite the fact that a number of those opportunistic durian farmers and vendors have been arrested upon the start of a harvest season with all of their unripe, terribly tasting fruits having been destroyed by the authorities, such alleged wrongdoings would never seem to end as long as the demand and supply mechanisms, albeit run in illicit fashion, are concerned, according to the official.

The authorities have been continually pushed for both the durian farmers and traders to follow the touchstones for the production, manufacturing and distribution of farm goods to assure the optimum qualities of their own merchandise, especially those bound for the export markets, Cholathee said.

A GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) certificate is for the farmer and a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificate is for the dealer to obtain for their own goods.

Meanwhile, the official said, customers are strongly advised to wait a little longer for ripe durian to begin to hit the markets around this time of year so they will certainly get the full flavors, especially those of the best-selling Mon Thong (Golden Pillow) genus, and see their money well-spent.

The Ripe Durian Day has been specifically designed for the King of the Fruits grown in Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat – the country’s largest durian-growing area, he remarked.

In another development, Rayong has recently announced an annual fruit festival between April and June during which customers may visit 76 fruit orchards throughout the province and buy some freshly-picked fruits, according to deputy provincial governor Anant Nakniyom.

In apparent competition with its neighbours Chanthaburi and Trat, he said, Rayong has organized the festival for a variety of its tropical fruits being put on sale now at those fruit orchards, ranging from durian to mangosteen, rambutan, salak and loquat.

The province has practically launched an agrotourism campaign for people to visit those fruit orchards during a long holiday for a world-renowned Songkran festival. At those orchards, visitors may pick the fruits for themselves, eat them right under the trees and pay in accordance with the taken quantity.

CAPTIONS:

Top: A plateful of delicious Thai durian. Photo: NNT

Home Page: Durian growing on a tree. Photo: TAT News