Four Airlines Allow Free Fruit Loading

BANGKOK, Aug 23 (TNA) – Four airlines allows free loading of 20 kg of fresh fruit in boxes, provided by Commerce Ministry at airports to promote fruit consumption. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanavisit inspected the fruit box distribution service at Surat Thani airport for passengers to load fruit free of charge. The campaign is aimed to help fruit growers increase sales from their orchards to visiting consumers. The boxes are provided in two sizes – 5 kg and 10 kg. Each passenger is allowed to load 20 kg of fresh at maximum. Four airlines, THAI Smile, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air and Air Asia are cooperating with ministry to use this model. The ministry will assess the amount of fruit, distributed through this channel one month after the implementation. If it is proved satisfactory, the ministry will adopt this measure in every fruit picking season. It also asked Thailand Post to design an application to support fruit distribution directly from orchards to customers. The minister said he would visit southern border provinces from August 31 to September 1. This model will be applied at Hat Yai airport and Narathiwat airport to help longkong fruit growers in the South. (TNA)