Rising fruit "Abeu" The district chief teams up with TAT Tak to develop fruit orchards into agricultural tourism sites, helping boost community income.
On 17 March 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported that a new fruit trend is gaining momentum in Phop Phra District, Tak Province, after farmers in Ban Sap Anan, Chong Khaep Subdistrict, succeeded in cultivating Abeu, a tropical fruit species from abroad. It has become the district's emerging economic crop, with orchards opening to welcome tourists to taste fresh fruit directly from the trees, generating additional income for the community.
Meanwhile, local farmers have adapted from traditional field crops to mixed fruit orchards, opening their gardens as agricultural tourism spots where visitors can closely experience the orchard atmosphere, walk through the gardens, taste fresh fruit, and pick Abeu themselves. This new style of tourism is becoming increasingly popular.
Pradit Phuchaemsri, 67, the orchard owner, revealed that he originally grew vegetables, corn, and chili, but due to unstable product prices, he shifted to mixed fruit orchards covering over 9 rai, plus another plot of about 30 rai, planting durian, avocado, jackfruit, mango, and several other fruits.
Recently, he began experimenting with Abeu cultivation, currently producing 200 trees with about 350 more growing. He expects over 500 trees to yield fruit next year. Initially, he purchased seedlings grown from seeds at about 80 baht each, then propagated more to reduce costs, since grafted plants can cost as much as 1,000–1,200 baht per cutting.
Abeu is a fast-fruiting tree, producing flowers and fruit in just over a year, with harvests possible about two months after flowering. It requires simple care, focusing on organic fertilizer and regular watering. At present, tourists and traders come directly to the orchard to buy fruit at around 150-200 baht per kilogram. Various sizes are available for tasting and purchase, along with selling cuttings for tourists to plant at home.
Meanwhile, Thanpawat Purivattanametha, the district chief of Phop Phra, together with Thamlawan Charoenwongpisit, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Tak office, visited the area to promote developing this Abeu orchard as a new agricultural and environmental tourism destination in Phop Phra District, aiming to generate income and stimulate the local economy.
The Abeu grown in Phop Phra can flower and produce multiple harvests throughout the year, making it a promising economic crop that can provide farmers with steady income.
Abeu, also known as Yellow Star Apple, is a tropical fruit native to South America. The trees grow about 8–10 meters tall and thrive in Thailand, producing fruit starting around two years of age, with multiple flowering and fruiting cycles annually.
Currently, Thailand cultivates two main Abeu varieties: one from Taiwan and another from Vietnam. The fruit ranges from medium to large size, weighing about 300–600 grams, with translucent white flesh that is firm and not mushy, sweet and fragrant, and contains little latex, making it increasingly popular in the market.
However, promoting Abeu as an agricultural tourism attraction marks an important step for Phop Phra District in adding value to agriculture, offering tourists close contact with farmers’ lifestyles, and creating sustainable income for local communities in the future.