PM Seeks T&G Partnership to Boost Thai Fruit Exports
PM Anuthin met with T&G Global in New Zealand to boost Thai fruit exports through integrating local agricultural products into the company's global distribution network. The partnership aims to improve cultivation standards and reach consum
Prime Minister Anuthin Charnweerakul and his delegation held talks with T&G Global executives in Auckland, New Zealand on August 20 to explore expanded cooperation and investment opportunities in Thailand. According to Naruetan Thedtheerashakdi, secretary-general of the Board of Investment, the discussions centered on integrating Thai high-quality fruits and agricultural products into T&G's global distribution network to reach markets across the region and worldwide. The prime minister proposed applying T&G's experience in transforming local agricultural products into world-class branded apples to improve Thai fruit cultivation standards, harvesting, packaging, and value-added production.
Thailand's strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia connects it to over 700 million consumers and benefits from robust infrastructure including Laem Chabang Port, Suvarnabhumi Airport, cold chain systems, and logistics providers. This cooperation would benefit Thailand's approximately 6.4 million farming households, nearly one-third of the national workforce, by opening global markets for their produce. Both parties also discussed research and development partnerships, particularly in post-harvest management technology and agricultural storage methods to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables without chemical preservatives.
T&G Global, founded in 1887, is one of New Zealand's largest and oldest horticultural companies, operating integrated operations from crop research and development through cultivation, packaging, storage, logistics, and distribution. The company operates farms in 10 countries and sells fresh fruit in over 50 nations worldwide, with apples accounting for approximately 67 percent of revenue. Premium brands include ENVY, JAZZ, and Orchard Rd. T&G operates in Thailand through T&G South East Asia, headquartered in Bangkok since 2016, and has been granted investment promotion status for an International Business Center, making Thailand a key base for Southeast Asian operations.