Supply chain management of mango for export in Eastern Thailand

Mango is one of the most important tropical fruit in Thailand with yearly production of more than 2 million tons. 'Nam Dok Mai' is the main export cultivar but production of export-quality fruit is limited since most growers are small farmers who are financially constrained to adopt improved techniques and the marketing systems do not adequately compensate farmers for producing high quality fruit. This study was conducted to analyze the production and marketing processes, determine the collective mechanisms of small farmers and connection with exporters, and assess the problems and obstacles in mango supply chain in the eastern region of Thailand. The survey was conducted by structured interview of 200 mango growers. All growers participated in contract farming system and most of them (96%) followed the guidelines of good agricultural practice (GAP). Over 80% of mango production areas were less than 1.5 hectare. Production technologies were based on the growers' experience or provided by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) and Department of Agricultural Extension (DOAE). Fruit yield from GAP-certified farms (6.2 ton/hectare) was lower than that from non-GAP farms (7.8 ton/hectare). Price of fruit from GAP and non-GAP farms did not differ. However, GAP farms produced more high quality fruit than non-GAP farms.