Thailand Uses Fruit Processing to Target High-Income Export Markets

FDA and Doi Kham join forces

Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has signed a memorandum of understanding with Doi Kham Food Products to help community enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses process surplus agricultural output into higher-value health products. Bangkok Biz News reported that the partners will use technology, product development and stronger safety standards to reduce spoilage and prepare processed fruit for international markets.

Doi Kham will mentor community enterprises, while the FDA will advise them on production facilities, formulations and applications for Thai FDA registration numbers. The cooperation is also expected to cover market development. Initial work will focus on seasonal fruit that reaches the market within a short period of 2-3 months, creating a high risk of oversupply, falling prices and waste.

Processing projects move beyond fresh fruit

In Ang Thong province, fresh mango prices fell to 1-2 baht per kilogram during a severe glut in March, leaving some farmers unwilling to pay harvesting costs. Doi Kham helped develop no-added-sugar mango sheets, introduced drying in solar-energy domes and placed the finished products in its own shops and leading department stores. Excess mangoes were frozen so they could be processed later rather than left to spoil.

The company has also supported more than 30 community businesses handling coconuts in Ratchaburi, where prices had previously dropped to 2-3 baht per fruit. Its work included improving hygiene in fresh coconut-water production and developing better-quality processed coconut without added sugar. In Nakhon Sawan, Doi Kham supplied disease-free banana planting material, helped improve soil and supported the production of several banana products after farmers encountered diseased and genetically unstable plants.

Another project turned mapid, a local citrus fruit from Chanthaburi, into a ready-to-drink beverage in no more than 5 weeks. The next phase will cover longan and lychee in Chiang Mai and Lampang, as well as mangosteen, longkong and other fruit in Thailand’s northeast, west and south. Distribution will use Doi Kham stores and modern retail networks including Big C, alongside planned export growth.

Export growth depends on standards and demand

Doi Kham President Chuchok Sivakunakorn said standardized processing could increase agricultural product value by 10-30 times, depending on the product and timing. Fresh mangoes may initially sell for 20-30 baht per kilogram, but prices can fall to 5-10 baht within days as larger volumes arrive and fruit begins to darken. Processing extends shelf life, but the company says producers must also preserve hygiene, nutritional value and vitamins to overcome consumer concerns about processed food.

Exports currently account for around 10% of Doi Kham’s products. The company is targeting high-purchasing-power markets with limited agricultural land, including Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and the Middle East. Its approach will match production with demand: Middle Eastern consumers favor mangoes but tend to avoid sweet flavors, China favors mangosteen, and South Korea has demand for tomatoes. Products must also comply with each destination’s food regulations and maintain consistent quality and volume. Doi Kham’s tomato juice has already gained popularity in South Korea, providing an early example of how a Thai processed product can find a specific overseas market.