Rising Export of Fresh Pineapples from Thailand Creates Opportunities for the Trat Si Thong Pineapple

Thailand is well-known for its export of tropical fruits, amongst which are pineapples. In 2018, it produced around 2.2 million metric tons of pineapples. Most of these pineapples are destined for domestic consumption or are further processed before exporting. In fact, Thailand is the biggest exporter of canned/processed pineapples: in 2018, it exported over 400 million USD worth of canned pineapples. Fresh pineapples, on the other hand, used to be hardly exported. This has changed last year. In 2018, the export of canned pineapples lost approximately 30% in value: Thailand exported only 400 million USD, compared to 570 million USD the year before. The export of fresh pineapples, on the other hand, went up by almost 73%, from 5.9 million USD to 10.3 million USD.

One of the reasons for the decrease in canned pineapple export is because of the oversupply in the Thai market in 2018. Due to the increased production, pineapple prices became extremely low and it was not profitable anymore to sell pineapples to processing facilities. However, the decrease in canned pineapple export alone does not explain the rise in fresh pineapple export. That actually seems to be a global trend. The total exported value changed from 1.9 billion USD to 2.1 billion USD between 2014 and 2018, an increase of 10.5%. The total exported value of canned pineapples has gone down from 1.1 billion USD in 2014 to 0.95 billion USD in 2018, a decrease of 15.7%. Fresh pineapples seem to be demanded more over the last few years.

According to Patrick Maher from Cresco World Trading Co., Ltd, the company is experiencing this trend through increased sales of the Trat Si Thong Pineapple. Also known as the Golden Trat, this pineapple only grows in the province of Trat. It is cylindrical in shape, with a thinner skin than most pineapples. The crown is quite high and there is a protruding seed section at the bottom. It is medium-sized and bright yellow, weighing 1.5-2 kg. The fruit has an average Brix level of 15, making it slightly sweeter than other varieties. Its sweet taste and crunchy texture make it mainly very well-suited for fresh consumption. The fruit is harvested throughout the year but is at its peak between April and July.

Cresco World Trading Co., Ltd is exporting this variety mainly to Japan, Korea, and China, mainly due to proximity. Due to the shorter shipping time, the company can ensure that the fruit stays fresh. According to the company, the demand for fresh pineapple has risen a lot last year in these regions, especially in China. In 2018, the export of the Trat si Thong pineapple only made up 0.5% of total Thai pineapple exports, but that number is expected to rise to 1% in 2019. Currently, 22K tons of Trat si Thong pineapple are exported, but “if demand continues to increase, 2020 could see a doubling of exports compared to 2019” according to Cresco World Trading Co., Ltd.