TRADERS/ MIDDLEMEN
Almost 95% of pomelo in Thailand is channeled through a chain of traders/middlemen. The middlemen take an important role to gather the fruits from individual farmers or informal producer groups to the packing house and on to the major markets in the big cities. The rest is often sold from roadside stalls in pomelo-growing areas.
For export market, some traders/middlemen provide services for grading and waxing or final packaging depending on the order from the exporters. But there are few traders who can handle the requirements at this level. They are mostly located in the central area. Some of traders and middlemen are also pomelo growers.
For the EU market, there is only Wieng Kaen area to supply to this market channel at the moment. Here, the producer group takes the role to gather the pomelo instead of traders and middlemen. Traders and middlemen buy the grade B or undergrade pomelo for domestic market or for export to neighboring countries such as Cambodia.
Normally the traders/middlemen pay in cash to the farmer directly after the buy pomelo from the farmer and based on verbal agreement.