Thailand Launches Digital Durian Market to Modernize Farming
Thailand launched a Digital Durian Market initiative to modernize farming practices and improve supply chain traceability, helping durian farmers meet international quality standards and access digital tools for production tracking.
Deputy Minister of Digital Economy and Society Nannaporn Bunyatida Somchai presided over the opening of the Digital Durian Market event, which brings durians from farm to shelf. The event was attended by DEPA officials, CP Extra executives, and durian farmers enrolled in the Digital Durian project at the Makro Ladprao event space in Bangkok.
Nannaporn emphasized that promoting durian farmers cannot focus solely on distribution but must begin at the source. The government, through the Ministry of Digital Economy and DEPA, must plan how to help Thai agriculture transition to modern farming practices. Thailand's annual durian yields vary significantly due to multiple factors affecting both farmers and domestic and international buyers with different needs.
Thailand should prioritize technology for tracking and monitoring agricultural products throughout the supply chain—from production through harvesting, processing, and transportation—to enable traceability back to source and production methods. This provides buyers and consumers assurance of quality from Thai farmers. DEPA has launched multiple programs to develop Thai agriculture, including the Digital Durian project, which enables farmers to use digital platforms for record-keeping and harvest tracking, meet GAP standards, and implement smart water management with IoT technology. These efforts help Thai durians maintain quality and standards in global markets. The ministry operates as a support system, integrating work across all agencies to maximize public benefit.
