Insight Focus
- Rainfall in H1’23 dramatically lower than average.
- Record high temperatures in some areas affecting pineapple quality.
- Summer crop harvesting will be delayed by several months.
Harvesting Season
Thai farmers usually begin harvesting pineapple from February to June during the summer season (approximately 10-12% volume per month). Early this year we anticipated a large volume of pineapples being harvested from April to June.
Unfortunately, the harvesting period has been delayed in certain areas such as Prachuab Kirikhan and Rayong (key pineapple planting regions) because the weather has not been favorable for the pineapple to reach its maximum growth potential.
Climate Change and El Nino Problem
The weather in Thailand has been dry since late Q1 and continues to be so up until now. The pineapple quality in Prachuab Kirikhan province (main production area) has been low due to high temperatures at around 38-39 degree Celsius which is a record high in 5 years. The extreme heat and sun have caused sunburn defect for the pineapple fruit.
The overall rainfall is low compared to previous years. The harvesting period for the summer pineapple crop is being pushed back for the next 4 to 5 months due to the lack of rain and poor development.
As the pineapple supply is insufficient for the summer season, the domestic price begun increasing again in May at around 7.8 THB/kg. (40% higher than that of the same time last year).
