High hopes for Thai fruit at Beijing Olympic Games

pomelo grapefruit Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture is seeking a 100 million baht (US$3.1 million) budget to promote Thai fruits at the Beijing Olympic Games, state media reported Sunday. Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissananantakul told the Thai News Agency that the Chinese government has given Thailand permission to supply complimentary fruit to athletes and officials attending the 2008 Olympics, which should prove a good marketing opportunity for the country's rather exotic items such as rambutans, mangosteens, pomelos, durians and longans. He said his ministry will ask the Cabinet Tuesday for a 100 million baht budget be spend on buying fruit from growers and setting up exhibits at key Chinese tourist destinations. "If only 5 percent of the total Chinese population, or about 70 million people, buy Thai fruits, the decline in Thai fruit prices could be solved," said Somsak.