While countries such as Thailand rely heavily on a handful of crops such as rice or rubber to sustain millions of farmers, trouble arises when prices fall and families are unable to switch quickly to other crops to earn a living.
Apples from Kullu have lost some of their distinctive qualities in recent years as growing conditions have changed.
Learning to adapt is a reality for farmers all over the world. In that respect, Thai farmers might learn some lessons from their peers in Kullu, a small town in the hills of northern India.
Ask any Indian about Kullu, and the first response would be "apples". But you might hear a different answer in the years and generations ahead as farmers in the region are opting to shift away from their age-old traditional crop to something that is different and will generate more revenues.
"We have been farming [apples] for generations but now we're starting to shift away from it because the apple belt is shifting," says Tej Bahadur, a 78-year old farmer who has opted to plant pomegranates.
"The apple trees we had were planted by my father and his father but I had to take the tough decision to cut them down,", says 78-year-old farmer Tej Bahadur.
Mr Bahadur, who owns about 5 bigha (about 2 acres or 5 rai) of land, is not alone. Farmers big and small are all making changes here in the "apple belt" of Himachal Pradesh state.
Apples for generations have been the predominant fruit crop of this hilly region. Research reports show they account for about 46% of the total area under fruit crop cultivation and 76% of the total fruit production of the state.
Apples have thrived in the cool climate of Kullu, located around 2,000 metres above sea level. However, global warming is having an impact on the region.
Studies have indicated that since 1982, the average temperature in the Himalayan region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius against the global mean of 0.6 degrees. In regions such as Kullu, the winter snows decades ago were measured in feet, but these days local residents talk of inches, and then only sometimes, says Mr Bahdur.
This is bad news for apple growers as apple trees require a certain degree of chill factor. Milder winters mean that the character of the trees has changed and the quality of the apples has suffered. They are not as red or green as before and, worse still, have become more vulnerable to infestations of diseases brought on by changing temperature patterns.
Some lower-lying areas of Himachal Pradesh such as Solan, which used to feature vast apple orchards, have seen apple production decline by nearly 80%.
Apple growing has been going on for generations and a drive around the state shows the extent of apple orchards. Most were planted long ago, since it takes between 20 and 25 years for an apple tree to bear fruit.
Given all the time they have invested in caring for their trees, many farmers are reluctant to abandon the only livelihood they have known.
"It was a tough decision [to switch away from apples] to undertake but we weren't getting the quality after the shift of the apple belt," said Abhinav Sikka, whose family owns vast amounts of land in the region.
"With no quality, the prices were depressed and we had to make a decision either to continue with this or take a hit and shift the crop to something that generates more revenue."
Orchard owner Abhinav Sikka has decided to diversify and offer homestay accommodation on his property.
His family took the tough decision to cut down its apple plantation and plant pomegranates and pears instead. A walk around his orchard shows that the decision was a wise one, although he admits that he tried other things such as planting flowers and other fruits in greenhouses before opting for pomegranates and pears.
Pomegranate trees, he says, take between five and seven years to bear fruit and will then continue to do so for up to three decades. Apples trees last longer and farms can be passed from generation to generation, although the changing climate could lower their lifespan.
Mr Sikka's family has also decided to diversify and is offering fully furnished huts as homestay accommodation under the name Devico Orchards. He hopes to expand this tourism side of the business in the years ahead.
The decision to make the shift for families with larger farm holdings is easier as they could allocate certain areas each year, but for smaller farmers such as Mr Bahadur it is not so easy.
"The apple trees we had were planted by my father and his father but I had to take the tough decision to cut them down, knowing that we could possibly have a difficult time having enough food on the table during the transition process, but what options did I have?" he said.
Mr Bahadur, whose shack-like house sits right next to his orchard, still holds out some hope for apple farming and has managed to collect money to buy another small plot of land higher up and farther from his current base. But he knows time is not on his side.
"I'm 78 now I don't think it's for me. Apples are such that if you plant the tree at age 20 you will see the yields at 40 or older," he says with a hearty laugh that reveals his missing teeth.
While the likes of Mr Bahdur wait for apples or pomegranates trees to grow, they can still take advantage of a conducive environment for growing vegetables and other seasonal plants including onions, garlic, tomatoes and cauliflower.