STORY: Durian festival held in southern Thailand to boost trade with China
SHOOTING TIME: June 15, 2024
DATELINE: June 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:55
LOCATION: CHUMPHON, Thailand
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the event and durian plants
2. SOUNDBITE (Thai): WISAH POOLSIRIRAT, Governor of Chumphon province
3. various of the event

STORYLINE:

A durian festival celebration was held on Saturday in Chumphon province, an important durian producing area in southern Thailand, aiming to promote Thailand's durian and help more fruit enter the Chinese market.
   
Chinese Consul General in Songkhla Wu Dongmei, some Chinese logistics companies and fruit dealers such as SF Express were invited to the event.
   
During the event, Governor of Chumphon province Wisah Poolsirirat cut a durian with a knife, marking the start of the 2024 Chumphon durian harvest season.

SOUNDBITE (Thai): WISAH POOLSIRIRAT, Governor of Chumphon province
"We hold this event to let Thai and Chinese people know that after June 15, durians in Chumphon are at the ripe time with the best quality, ideal for domestic and foreign markets. Our efforts are dedicated to enhancing the quality of durians to ensure the best durian products can be delivered to the hands of Chinese customers."
   
As the largest durian planting area in southern Thailand, Chumphon province accounts for more than half of the region's durian production, with fruit season lasting from June to December.
   
In the past five years, the durian planting area in Chumphon province has continued to expand, increasing by 17.38 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, according to the agricultural extension office of the province.
   
It is expected that there will be over 250,000 tonnes of durian production in the province this year, bringing in more than 33 billion baht (899.4 million U.S. dollars).
   
The expansion of durian planting area is mainly based on the increasing demand for Thai durian from major trading partner countries. China is Thailand's largest durian trade partner, and 70 percent of Chumphon province's durians are exported to China, said Wisah.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chumphon, Thailand.
(XHTV)