Phuket gov launches weekly farmer’s market

PHUKET: Governor Norraphat Plodthong officially unveiled a ‘Farmer’s Market’ at Limelight Avenue in Phuket Town this week.

The market is aimed at allowing farmers to directly supply fresh, high quality produce and provide a wider choice to customers.

The new market will be held every week from Friday to Sunday, with a variety of organic products on offer. However, pineapples and pineapple-based products will be available daily.

“Phuket is a beautiful island, which is why it attracts so many tourists from all over the world. We want to show them that we have several unique and delicious fruits and vegetables on offer. At present, 80 per cent of the flat arable land in Phuket is being used for farming, of which 2,000 rai is allocated to pineapples. The unique aspects of Phuket pineapples are the scent and crispness,” said Gov Norraphat.

“At the moment, fresh fruits and vegetables are available in limited locations, so we launched this market to give people easier access. All products sold here will have ‘GI’ (geographical identification) labels on them,” he added.

The governor also said that the products available at the farmer’s market will be GMO, chemical and pesticide free. He added that such markets will help farmers to understand the demand in the market so they can identify and better cater to customer needs.

— Phanita Jongathikitphaiboon