Pundit urges growing fruit sales channels

Marketing should tell a unique story

PUBLISHED : 11 May 2026 at 07:03

NEWSPAPER SECTION: Business

WRITER: Kuakul Mornkum

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A marketing specialist recommends expanding sales channels and developing effective storytelling as strategies to address the fruit glut.

Stakeholders in the fruit supply chain should prepare for the possibility of oversupply in the upcoming harvest season, said Asst Prof Ake Pattaratanakun, head of the Marketing Department at Chulalongkorn Business School. He advised against price-cutting strategies to address a glut.

"There are numerous marketing strategies available, but price-cutting should be the last option because it is like launching a nuclear missile. Once one party initiates it, others will follow and all parties suffer," said Asst Prof Ake.

To tackle oversupply in the short term, he recommended expanding sales channels.

Instead of waiting for middlemen to collect produce from the farm, farmers can directly contact local restaurants or malls, many of which now provide free selling spaces for agricultural products.

Orchard owners can also use social media platforms to promote their farms and sell products online.

Asst Prof Ake, who is also president of the Marketing Association of Thailand, suggested farmers craft compelling stories about their produce and communicate the unique characteristics that set their products apart. For example, they can highlight unique geographic locations and careful cultivation processes, such as using clean water for irrigation.

He also recommends farmers seek knowledge and support from local agricultural education institutions or provincial commerce offices to help them understand fruit processing techniques and how to supply their products to processing facilities.

Proper processing of fruit can add value to products and extend their shelf life, reducing price pressures related to the short lifespan of fresh fruit, said Asst Prof Ake.

Farmers can also consult local authorities to gather information, assess current market supply, and determine the optimal timing for harvesting.

## LONG-TERM MEASURES

He said "absorbing" excess supply is a crucial strategy. Fruit growers can use the offseason to seek new markets and establish business relationships with processing factories and local restaurants.

For example, they may enter into forward contracts with those buyers to help secure product prices for the upcoming harvest season.

Asst Prof Ake supports the transformation of local agricultural enterprises into businesses that embrace fruit processing.

By absorbing surplus supply and converting it into processed fruit, prices of fresh fruit can be stabilised. Moreover, processed products such as freeze-dried durian can reach broader markets and reduce risks associated with fresh fruit.

The long-term development of agricultural technology, supported by various agricultural schools, has elevated Thai fruit to the highest level of quality among tropical varieties, he noted.

In marketing communications, Thai fruit should not be compared with lower-quality competitors. Instead, Thai fruit should be positioned as premium, first-tier products, said Asst Prof Ake, or it risks being perceived as merely expensive compared with regional competitors.

The communication strategies should highlight the exceptional and distinctive flavours of Thai fruit, he said.

Communication efforts should focus on lifestyle-oriented platforms such as Instagram, said Asst Prof Ake.

In addition, he said Thai fruit should be promoted as offering more than just good flavours, but rather representing the Thai experience.

The goal is for consumers to link the taste of Thai fruit with the unique and memorable experience of Thailand, said Asst Prof Ake.

He said obtaining geographical indication (GI) certification is a positive step in highlighting the uniqueness of Thai fruit products. GI products must be promoted using compelling storytelling to communicate their uniqueness to people, said Asst Prof Ake.

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- Thai fruit industry

- Agricultural marketing strategies

- Fruit supply chain management

- Geographical indication certification

- Fruit processing techniques

- Agricultural business development

- Thai fruit export