More longan exports reach China via Tmall.com

NONTHABURI, June 1 (TNA) – The commerce minister expects the export of longan to double annually in the next three years thanks to its marketing via China’s Tmall.com. Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong said his ministry organised the Thai Flagship Store Business Matching event for representatives of Tmall.com, China’s biggest business-to-consumer retail website, and about 70 Thai food and fruit companies. They sealed orders worth 572 million baht and most orders were for fresh and processed fruits, rice products and animal feed. Longan significantly attracted demand and about 8,000-10,000 tons of longan were likely to be ordered for sales via Tmall.com. That would double last year’s longan order and there were also orders for longan export next year, Mr Sontirat said. He predicted that the orders would rise by more than 100% annually in the next three years. According to the commerce minister, the Thai Flagship Store was launched on Tmall.com in April and has attracted considerable interest in rice and durian which were piloted in the retail website under the Alibaba Group. Longan is being promoted there after rice and durian. Mataproduct Co and Chomthong Agricultural Cooperative Co were assigned to gather longan for export via Tmall.com. (TNA)