The Ministry of Commerce will tackle the challenges of exporting shallots to Indonesia and Vietnam. The move aims to stabilise shallot prices for farmers ahead of the peak harvest season.
For the 2024-25 crop year, Thailand's shallot production is projected to reach 152,221 tonnes, a 2.69% increase year-on-year. Domestic demand is projected to be 140,000-150,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Si Sa Ket continues to be the largest production area, accounting for 53% of total output, or 80,771 tonnes. The main areas cultivating the crop are the districts of Rasri Salai, Yang Chum Noi and Kanthararom.
Harvesting is already underway, with the peak season running from January to March. Additional production will emerge from other provinces such as Lamphun and Chiang Mai.
Following a recent visit to Si Sa Ket, Wittayakorn Maneenetr, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said this season's shallot output from Si Sa Ket is of excellent quality. However, an increase in production has driven prices down slightly.
The Ministry of Commerce has coordinated with various business groups to purchase products directly from farmers and will continue this effort throughout the harvest season.
This effort aligns with the Commerce Ministry's directives to ensure fair and cost-covering prices for all agricultural products.
He added that the department plans to discuss export issues with the Indonesian embassy in Thailand.
"Indonesia is a key market, but challenges in the export process have slowed down distribution. Despite Indonesia's strong demand for shallots, local production does not align with Thailand's harvest season, creating an export opportunity. Thailand also imports shallots from Indonesia," he said.
Efforts will also focus on addressing logistics challenges, since countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore are showing increasing interest in Thai shallots due to their superior quality and richer flavour.
From January to August 2024, Thailand exported 15,324 tonnes of shallots, including fresh, seed and dried varieties, valued at US$10.8 million, a 13.3% year-on-year increase.
The country imported 15,181 tonnes of shallots, mainly from Myanmar (46%) and Indonesia (41%), with the remainder coming from China, primarily during the rainy season from August to November.
