SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OF RAMBUTAN FRUIT FOR EXPORT IN CHANTHABURI PROVINCE

S. Tongtao, V. Srilaong, T. Wasusri, P. Boonyaritthongchai, S. Kanlayanarat
Rambutan (Nephellium lappaceum) supply chain was analyzed focusing on farmers and exporters in Chanthaburi province, Thailand, during November 2009 - April 2010. Information on general management, cultural practices, postharvest handling and marketing was collected by interviewing the targeted farmers and exporters from four districts of the province, namely, Khao-kitchakood, Makham, Khlung and Thamai. Farmers with age ranging from 28-80 years old have been cultivating rambutan for 4-40 years. ‘Rongrien’ was the main commercial cultivar grown as a monocrop or with other fruit crops as intercrop on an area ranging from 0.48-12.48 hectares at a spacing that varied from 3 x 4 meters to 12 x 12 meters. Fruit yield ranged from 1,131-18,750 kg/hectare with marketable yield, off grade and non-marketable yield comprising about 74.9, 19.8 and 6.3% of the total harvest, respectively. Harvesting usually took an average of 6.27 h/day from morning till noontime. Harvested fruit were sold to collectors, wholesalers and retailer at the meeting-point market or to roadside vendors. Most of the produce were destined for the local market while only about 7% for export mainly to mainland China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. Export grade fruit were cleaned and packed in foam bag at 9 kg/bag. For improving keeping quality, exporters used ice to maintain cool temperature in the packing box during transport. Transport period was about 4 h from the packinghouse to the airport and 3-4 h from the airport to the terminal market. Improving the current supply chain management practices could expand export.
Tongtao, S., Srilaong, V., Wasusri, T., Boonyaritthongchai, P. and Kanlayanarat, S. (2012). SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OF RAMBUTAN FRUIT FOR EXPORT IN CHANTHABURI PROVINCE. Acta Hortic. 943, 281-284
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.943.39
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.943.39
Nephellium lappaceum, supply chain management (SCM), cultural practices, fruit quality, postharvest handling
English

Acta Horticulturae