BANGKOK, Thailand – Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn led the launch of the “Longan Farmers’ Assembly” in Chiang Mai province on July 21, introducing three key measures to manage the growing longan surplus across eight northern provinces. Held at Maejo University, the event welcomed more than 6,000 farmers from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Lamphun, Lampang, and Tak. The Ministry’s plan includes a 1-billion-baht budget to improve production quality and raise farm incomes.
With longan yields expected to increase by 120,000 to 140,000 metric tons during July and August, the Ministry announced a set of targeted programs. The first is an interest-free loan scheme to support dried longan processors, managed in coordination with the Cooperative Promotion Department, the Department of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. The second program expands fresh longan distribution through cooperation with the Agricultural Marketing Organization, the Ministry of Education, the Department of Corrections, and private retailers.
The third measure is a longan orchard development project, established to improve farming practices and raise product quality. Under this program, growers can receive 1,000 baht per rai of farmland, up to 10 rai per household, for pruning and flower thinning. The Ministry expects this to support precision agriculture and improve the global image of Thai longan.
Department of Agricultural Extension Director-General Peerapan Korthong reported that longan harvesting began in early June, with 102,436 tons collected as of July 18, around 13.83% of the projected harvest. With the peak expected in August, the Department is also working on long-term reforms to improve market stability and value-added production.
After the event, Minister Atthakorn met with senior officials to discuss flood and storm preparedness across the northern provinces. All agencies under the Ministry were instructed to ensure that early warning systems, machinery, and response teams are ready to support affected farming communities. (NNT)
