Orders open for auspicious pineapples, at only B15,430

Dubbed "The Queen of Andaman Fruits", a total of 109 purebred Phuket variety pineapples, the lowest priced at 1,543 baht and highest at 15,430 baht, for the coming Chinese New Year. Orders are now open. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)

PHUKET: Orders are now being taken for a local strain of pineapple valued at more than 15,000 baht each. Buyers must hurry as there are only nine of them available.

Dubbed “The Queen of Andaman Fruits”, Phuket Pineapple is renowned for its unique and mellow flavour, crisp texture and pleasant aroma.

Provincial governor Norraphat Plodthong said advance orders were now open for this toothsome southern fruit.

A total of 109 prized pineapples will be available for preorder, of which nine will be specially packaged and priced at 15,430 baht each. The remainder will sell at prices starting from 1,543 baht each, which the province expects to bring in as much as 450,000 baht in total.

The nine will be presented by the provincial governor, who grows the strain at his organic farm and residence.

They will be handed to buyers in stylish packaging with a gold pineapple pendant weighing two salueng (half a baht weight) before Chinese New Year in February next year. The other 100 will also sent to customers at the same time.

Early this year, sales of 189 special fruit brought in more than 300,000 baht ahead of Chinse New Year.

The sale is being handled by Phuket Pracharat Rak Samakkhee Co Ltd, a social enterprise.

Mr Norraphat launched the event, “Ong Lai 2018 Po Pi Peng An: The Preorder of the Best Pineapple of 2018”, at city hall on Thursday evening.

Chinese New Year is a big event his southern resort island, home to many Thai-Chinese families -descendants of Chinese who migrated to Thailand a long time ago.

“Ong Lai” is Hokkien, a Chinese dialect, and means pineapple, and the fruit is used in paying homage to deities and ancestors during Chinese New Year. Worshipers believe it will bring them good fortune.

Phuket Pracharat Rak Samakkhee Co executive Weerachai Pranweerapaiboon said at the launch that taking orders for the fruit was aimed at promoting cultivation of the purebred Phuket pineapple. There were only 2,200 rai of Phuket pineapple orchards left in the province. Seven million pineapples were expected to be harvested throughout the island.

Pineapple plantations are being developed and managed in accordance with the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s philosophy of a sufficiency economy for sustainable agriculture, which will boost the local economy and inmprove villagers' livelihoods, he said.

The pineapples will be farmed organically. The fruit quality must also be standardised to meet international standards and certified by Geographical Indication (GI), a sign on products identifying a specific geographical origin and unique qualities, and Good Agricultural Practice.

Value will be added to the fruit by developing special packaging, he said.