The Minister of Commerce is satisfied after coordinating with 3 agencies, "Ministry of Interior - Ministry of Defense - Labor" to jointly improve the quality of longan products in the North, connecting the market to attract longan buyers in advance, pushing prices up continuously. Orchard owners are satisfied. Mr. Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, said after leading a group to visit Lamphun Province at Platinum Fruit Company Limited, Nam Dip Subdistrict, Pa Sang District, Lamphun Province yesterday evening (3 August 2014) to monitor the purchase of fresh longan clusters and meet with longan farmers. The company purchases fresh longan from local orchard owners, sorts them by grade, and puts them in a fumigation chamber to extend the shelf life of the produce before sending them to major markets such as China and India. The price of longan has increased, and farmers are satisfied. Previously, the Prime Minister promised farmers to monitor the price of longan and ordered the Ministry of Commerce to closely monitor it and not let the price rise or fall naturally. The factors that caused the price of longan to rise were: the first factor was that producers and farmers devoted themselves to planting and producing quality longan. The second factor was that the government sector helped manage and find markets for farmers, and middlemen helped purchase in a comprehensive manner. 'I have given the Ministry of Commerce a policy that adheres to the principle of balance, no one can survive alone. We must rely on each other. The government facilitates. In going to the area, entrepreneurs informed me that they were experiencing a labor shortage. Therefore, we have coordinated with many sectors to urgently solve the problem, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Defense, and the Provincial Police Commander. I ask all sectors to help solve the problem. The government is ready to help take care of crop prices by using all targeted mechanisms so that farmers' produc ts have good prices and a better quality of life,' said Mr. Phumtham. For the total longan production volume in the country in 2024, it is expected to be 1,438,137 tons, an increase of 2% from 2023. The main production source is in the North. The production volume is expected to be 994,953 tons, accounting for 69% of the total production volume. During January-June 2024, Thailand exported a total of 165,231 tons of fresh longan, an increase of 23% from 2023 in the same period. The main markets are China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. The Ministry of Commerce has issued 5 measures for longan management in 2024, totaling more than 91,609 tons, in cooperation with all sectors to distribute and absorb the products. Currently, the average price of AA-grade longan clusters is 38-43 baht/kg, 25% higher than the previous year. The average price of A-grade longan clusters is 33-38 baht/kg, 29% higher than the previous year. The average price of AA-grade longan is 32-35 baht/kg, 43% higher than the previous year. The average price of A-grade longan clusters is 17-18 baht/kg, 13% higher than the previous year. Source: Thai News Agency