At least 2 brokers are facing prosecution for allegedly attempting to export poor-quality durians — suspected to have originated from the neighbouring country — to China and falsely labelling them as Thai fruit.
Officials from the Department associated with Agriculture (DoA) checked out two locations within Chumphon’s Lang Suan and Thung Tako districts where durians were bought from farms in and around the state for export to China.
The inspection had been prompted by the breakthrough of substandard durians about to be exported to China by border customs workplaces in Mukdahan plus Nakhon Phanom.
Altogether 37 tonnes of durian, found to be unripe and tainted with bugs and disease, in two deliveries were returned to the brokers in Chumphon.
According to the DoA, strict processes are in place to check the quality and origin of the fruits in the point of border customs clearance.
The agents responsible for the two deliveries of durian are liable for prosecution.
Damrongsak Sinsak, village headman within Muang district of Chumphon, who joined up with an inspection team, said the colour from the durians’ skin suggested the fruit were cultivated in a neighbouring nation.
The particular durians may have been purchased at cheap prices associated with 40-50 baht apiece. If they had been re-exported, the brokers might have made a large profit, he said.
“It’s the best thing that they were ceased. Otherwise, the trustworthiness of Thai durians would have gone down the strain, ” Mr Damrongsak said.
One manager at a raided brokerage denied the durians had been mislabelled and insisted they were bought from farms in Thailand.