Prices rise as government tackles unrest In order to avoid factory closures, the Thai government took steps in the summer to encourage closer working relationships among the pineapple industry in the hope of getting prices up. A source in Bangkok told The Grocer: "Canners were fighting each other for export business in a way which resulted in massive financial losses, and some of the smaller, privately owned factories would have been forced to close. As thousands of workers would have been out of work, the central government offered help." A dozen of the largest producers agreed to invest in a holding company, which would market the 300,000t pack of smaller producers. Thailand produces about 1.6 million tins in a normal year, of which 1.3 million is sold on a regular basis, but the additional quantity seems to cause the problem. So far, the scheme seems to be working well, as prices have been increased to acceptable levels. But cynics point to a shortage of raw material as a likely cause rather than government action. {{CANNED GOODS }}

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