Growing Exotic Fruits and Vegetables in Thailand

There are so many unique and juicy exotic fruits in Thailand than in any other country in S.E Asia. In fact, Thailand is one of the top exporters of fruits in the region. Many exotic fruits in Thailand originated from many countries across the world including Japan and China. Fruits thrive well in the highlands in the northern part of Thailand. This area is mountainous and heavily forested and receives a lot of rainfall. The tropical climate and fertile fields allow the fruits to grow using little farm inputs and little or no irrigation. However, some farmers use artificial farming techniques such as permaculture in modern orchards and organic farms to maximize yields.

Most visitors who want to sample dozens of exotic fruits in this country visit Chanthaburi town. The town attracts many visitors during May-June fruit season. Fruits are usually included in the breakfast menu of many hotels and restaurants in this town. You will find so many fruits stands on the streets of many urban centers during fruit season.

Common exotic fruits

A wide variety of exotic fruits are abundant in Thailand. The common ones include durian, longkongs, zalacca, rose apple, lychee, rambutan, pomelo, mangosteen, and dragon fruit. However, durian remains to be the most popular fruit in most urban centers. This fruit is large in size with rough and spiky skin. However, the inner part is creamy and soft with a unique taste. When ripe, durian fruit has a pungent odor and you can smell it from a distance.

Most exotic fruits are seasonal and they blossom during rainy seasons. However, some farmers irrigate their fields and supply fruits throughout the year. Others grow them in greenhouses and other modernized farms to enhance the growth of the plants and the quality of the fruit. Modern farming techniques ensure that there is constant fruit supply to the market even during dry seasons. The only downside of such fruits is that they are expensive since they a lot of maintenance and manpower. Some farmers also use more pesticides and other farm inputs in irrigated fields thus making them increase the prices of their produce. Examples of seasonal fruits in Thailand include pomelo, mango, jackfruit Longkong, papaya, and mangosteen.

Some plants bear fruits all year round. You can sample these fruits at any time of the year. The only thing that changes is their size and thickness of the skin. Those that are not irrigated tend to be smaller with thicker skins during the dry season. Examples of fruits that produce throughout the year include durian, Bananas, Coconut, guava, and Tangerines.

Exotic fruit farms

Thailand has so many large scale fruit farms that supply their produce to the local and international market. Farms that produce fruits for export are carefully selected by experts to ensure that the fruits meet market standards. Quality control experts check the farms from field preparation to fruit harvesting.

Organic farming is widely practiced in Thailand since organic fruits fetch a higher market price. Furthermore, most people don’t like fruits that are grown using harmful pesticides, herbicides, and other farm inputs. When the trees are blooming, experts remove trees that seem to be infected or weak and leave those that might bear high-quality fruits

Fruit harvesting

Fruit harvesting in most farms in Thailand is done by hand. Most farms employ many people during harvesting seasons to handpick various fruits. Farmers prefer this traditional harvesting method since most tropical fruits have different shapes and sizes thus making it difficult to use a machine. Furthermore, the fruits ripen at different times and a machine cannot differentiate between fruits that are mature and the ones which require more time to ripen.
After harvesting, only fruits that are big enough and without marks are selected and packaged for export. This is done by experienced employees who look at the color, shape, size, and fragrance of the fruits. For this reason, customers only get the finest fruits from Thailand.

Conclusion

Thailand has many exotic fruits than most countries in the world. Some plants bear fruits according to seasons while others produce fruits throughout the year since they are not affected by seasons. Some seasonal fruits are grown using artificial farming methods to ensure that there is a constant supply of various fruits to the market even during dry seasons. If you visit Thailand during May-June fruit season, you will get a chance to sample dozens of fruits on the streets, restaurants or even local orchards.