Tops, Thailand's leading food retailer, recently sent sourcing teams to the provinces of Uttaradit and Sukhothai to visit farmers, offer them advice and purchase longan from them.
The longan is available for purchase at outlets of Tops and Central Food Hall.
The move aims to support the country's grassroots economy.
The sourcing visits are in line with the company's commitment to improving the quality of life for the country's farmers through direct purchases so that farmers can sell their produce at reasonable prices.
Through these efforts, more than 100 families that cultivate longan are earning more income thanks to the additional channels through which they can sell their produce.
Somnuk Yoddumnern, head of farmers, quality line and local sourcing at Central Food Retail, said consumers usually think of longan as coming from the South, particularly Tanyongmas in Narathiwat province.
However, this year longan from the South is scarce, with insufficient supply to meet consumer demand, said Mr Somnuk.
"Tops and our regional and local teams sought longan from other sources with a great taste. We found that the lower northern region, namely Uttaradit and Sukhothai, is home to some longan farmers, such as the Ban Dan Na Kham Farmers' Group in Uttaradit's Muang district, which has 90 families and 300 members, and the Ban Huay Tom Community Enterprise Group in Sukhothai's Si Satchanalai district, with 29 families and 100 members. Their longan is high-quality and tastes delicious," he said.
Consumers are invited to support northern farmers by purchasing longan in September at Tops market, Tops daily, Tops Food Hall and Central Food Hall outlets nationwide.
