Thailand's fruit exports to China in the first half of this year were worth 74.53 billion baht (33 baht per US dollar), up 64.89% from the same period last year, with pineapples, durians and longans leading the growth, according to data released by the Thai Ministry of Commerce. Alongkorn, adviser to Thailand's Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said that the key to Thailand's fruit exports to China is that The two countries have always maintained friendly and cooperative relations. Meanwhile, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce and The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives jointly launched a "market-led production" model to help farmers grow fruit to meet market demand.

Driving southeast from Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the road is green and sometimes you can see large orchards. Thailand's total fruit output is expected to reach 5.4 million tons this year, up about 23% year-on-year, according to the Country's Office of Agricultural Economics. China is an important fruit export market for Thailand, importing more than 20 kinds of fruits from Thailand every year. In the face of the impact of the epidemic, Thai fruit exports to China bucked the trend and grew last year, and this momentum is expected to continue this year.

As agreed by relevant departments of China and Thailand, Thai fruits can enter the Chinese market through ports of Bohan, Youyi, Pingxiang and Dongxing at present. This further improves the export efficiency of Thai fruit and reduces the loss in the fruit transport process. "Thai fruit can further expand exports to China through these ports and strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries." "Aronkorn said.

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade reached 98.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, up 7.5 percent year on year. In the first half of this year, bilateral trade bucked the trend and grew by 38%. CAI Weicai, senior vice president of Kaitai Bank of Thailand, said that China has been Thailand's largest trading partner for eight consecutive years, and the continued strong purchasing power of the Chinese market provides important opportunities for Thailand to expand commodity exports, especially fruit exports.

Thailand's agricultural population accounts for about 14 percent of the country's total employment. In Tsenchu Boongoku, Rayong and Darat provinces, durian planting area increased by 5.85 per cent year-on-year in 2020, while prices rose to 100 baht per kg from 60 baht a few years ago. "Thanks to the support of China and other international markets, the income of Thai farmers has increased and more people in agriculture have become rich," said Chareng Chai, secretary general of The Thai Democratic Party and minister of Agriculture and cooperatives.