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Introduction
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- Tomato is an important
economic crop of Thailand.
- It is consumed in the fresh
form.
- Tomato is also a raw
material for the processing industries, to produce canned
fish and tomato sauce.
- Tomato can be grown as a
second crop, after rice, in the north and northeastern
regions.
- Planting area is on the
increase.
- There are many varieties of
tomato grown in Thailand, but they can be split into two
groups: fresh varieties and industrial varieties.
- Fresh varieties are grown
all year to satisfy demand.
- Yield is higher when grown
in the winter season. Diseases and insects
that attack tomato are less severe in the winter than the
rainy season.
- The varieties farmers
prefer are - Seeda and Seeda Hang Chut.
- Industrial tomatoes can be
grown once a year in September and harvested in winter
when the agro-climatic conditions are suitable and risk of
infection lower. Winter weather is also more
conducive for tomato to produce lycopene, the compound
that gives it the red colour.
- Requirements for industrial
tomato are large fruit, high total solid, low fibre, red
colour, resistance to disease and insects and high yield
per hectare. Popular varieties are VF, 134-1-2, Beeto 94
and P52.
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Production
areas
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- Tomato
can grow in all regions of Thailand. The major
regions for tomato are provinces in the north and
northeast.
- Main
provinces: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nong Khai, Sakon
Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima.
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Processing
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- Tomatoes
are processed into products such as tomato juice, tomato
paste, tomato puree, tomato ketchup, and dehydrated
tomato.
- The
major products in Thailand are tomato sauce and paste that
are absorbed by the fish canning industry.
- Demand
for tomato ketchup by the canning industry is 30,000 tons
per year and demand for tomato paste for the same canning
10,000 tons.
- The
total amount of tomato products is equivalent to 70,000
– 100,000 tons fresh tomato.
- 14
factories produce tomato paste and other tomato products
in Thailand.
- Total
capacity of the factories is 300,000 tons per year; they
usually work at less than full capacity because of
undersupply tomato.
- Most
of the factories are located in the northeastern region of
the country.
- Tomatoes
are also canned, this sector involving about 15 factories.
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International
trade
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- Tomatoes
are exported:
- Fresh
or chilled to nearby markets – Malaysia &
Singapore (1998 - 1,170 ton, value Bt 5.6 million)
- Canned
to Middle East, Australia, Japan, New Zealand (1998
- 9,830 ton, value Bt 234 million)
- Ketchup
or Sauce to Taiwan, Singapore, Middle East, Hong
Kong, Japan, Australia and Russia (1998 [Jan – June]
2,156 ton, value Bt 83.7 million)
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