Sweet crisis: Thailand races to rescue record longan harvest
Farmers will harvest 667,000 tonnes of longans in 2 months
Thailand’s mountains of sweet, golden longans are about to become a blessing and a headache all at once. Agriculture Minister Atthakorn Sirilattayakorn has ordered an all-hands-on-deck operation to tackle a record-breaking longan crop that’s expected to flood markets and risk crashing prices in the coming months.
Speaking after chairing the first Policy Committee on Quality Longan Production Management meeting of 2025, Atthakorn revealed that the northern provinces are bracing for a staggering 1,064,242 tonnes of longans this year—a 12.36% surge from last year’s 947,140 tonnes.
“This bumper yield is thanks to ideal weather that helped flowering and fruiting,” he said. “But the concentrated harvest in July and August could overwhelm the market if we don’t act decisively.”
Indeed, the numbers are daunting. In July alone, farmers expect to harvest more than 225,000 tonnes, with a whopping 442,000 tonnes in August—nearly 90% of the entire season’s crop within two months.
A severe labour shortage is compounding the problem. With too few hands to pick, sort and transport the fruit, the government is moving quickly to mobilise workers from the East to the northern orchards.
“We are integrating the efforts of the agriculture, commerce and labour ministries to make sure everything happens legally and efficiently,” Atthakorn said.
The plan involves streamlining the entire supply chain, from harvesting and collection to marketing and export. Cooperative systems will be strengthened to help distribute the fruit faster and more widely, both domestically and internationally.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Akara Phrompha added that technology and innovation will be critical to maintaining quality standards.
“We want to see longans not just in local markets but also exported in greater volumes. This will increase farmer incomes and help stabilise the industry,” he said.
The northern provinces of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Nan, Phayao, Phrae, Lampang and Lamphun are at the centre of this agricultural juggernaut. In total, 1,243,784 rai of orchards are forecast to produce an average yield of 860 kilogrammes per rai—up from 766 kilogrammes last year, reported KhaoSod.
Officials say the next eight weeks will be crucial in averting a market meltdown and ensuring this sweet bounty doesn’t go to waste.
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