Tesco Lotus bears fruit

Apart from exporting mainly to its United Kingdom base, Tesco Lotus will expand its markets in another 13 countries where its stores are located.

Last year, the company exported Bt1.3 million worth of fruits and vegetables in cooperation with the Agriculture Ministry and export agents.

Tesco Lotus is helping solve the domestic oversupply of fruits and vegetables, which should eventually raise prices and increase revenue for the agricultural sector, said Johnathan Sutton, category technical manager in Thailand and Malaysia.

At the same time, it is adding product variety to all of its branches worldwide.

Fruits with high potential for export worldwide include mangosteens, rambutans, longans and mangoes, while durians, pineapples and lychees are expected to do well in Asian markets.

"Many farmers have improved their growing process to meet Tesco Lotus's minimum standard and the food-safety requirements of Good Agricultural Practice," Sutton said.

"In addition, some Thai fruits, particularly mangosteens, are gaining more of a reputation in international markets, due to its nutrition, so we see a high opportunity to export through our strong networks."

Tesco Lotus has 6,000 small farms in its supply chain. It has 3,500 branches in 13 countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, China, South Korea and Malaysia.

The retail giant also imports fruits from Europe and China. However, Sutton said the amount and value were very little, because European fruits were expensive. Imported products include grapes, apples, carrots and broccoli.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation