Indonesia agrees to import red onion from Thailand

BANGKOK, March 21 (TNA) - Indonesia has announced to import some 60,000 tonnes of red onions from Thailand during the first half of this year, when the Kingdom is also likely to receive the largest quota for the red onion exports to the neighbouring country, also the world's largest archipelagic nation. Pranee Siriphand, Director-General of the Ministry of Commerce's Department of Foreign Trade, told reporters on Thursday that, after her department's negotiations to export more Thai fruits and vegetables to Indonesia last month, Jakarta announced on March 15 that it has agreed to import the 60,000-tonne-red onions from Thailand during the first half of this year. Pranee acknowledged that Indonesia has imported red onion from Thailand, India and the Philippines, but Thailand is expected to secure the largest quota this time, as the Kingdom has been the biggest supplier of red onion for Indonesia so far, and that about five large-scaled Indonesian red onion importers have nodded for importing at least about 6,000 tonnes of red onion from Thailand. As Indonesia is also likely to announce its import quotas for other vegetables and fruits later this month, the senior Thai official noted that her department is trying to win Indonesia's consent for exports of Thai fresh durians to the Indonesia market. The senior official said that concerned Thai authorities are trying as well to convince Indonesia to accept standard farm products from Thailand at its Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta to shorten shipping time to keep the freshness of Thai farm produce exports. (TNA)