Sweet Tamarind Fair

Sweet tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun. Sweet Tamarind Fair is thus organised in Phetchabun to celebrate the harvest of this fruit. This day is also called Phetchabun’s Agricultural Day. During the festival, farmers bring their sweet tamarind to sell at reasonable price at Phetchabun’s provincial athletic field where contests of sweet tamarind and other crops are held. Besides this, there are other agricultural exhibitions and entertainment organised during the event.

Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind

Definition
Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind includes straight pod sweet tamarinds, which are See Chom Phoo, Khan Dee, Pra Kai Thong, Phak Darp, and Wahn Lon; and curved pod sweet tamarinds, which are See Thong, See Thong Bao, Nam Pheung (honey), Intaphalum, Muen-Jong, and Sang Arthit (sunshine). All of them are planted in Phetchabun.

Specification of Goods

(1) Sweet tamarind strain: includes See Chom Phoo, Khan Dee, Pra Khai Thong, Phak Darp,
Wan Lon, See Thong, See Thong Bao, Nam Phueng (honey), Intaphalum, Muen-Jong, and
Sang Arthit (sunshine).

(2) Kinds of Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind
- Straight pod: See Chom Phoo, Khan Dee, Pra Kai Thong, Phak Darp, and Wahn Lon.
- Curved pod: See Thong, See Thong Bao, Nam Pheung (honey), Intaphalum, Muen-
Jong, and Sang Arthit (sunshine).

(3) Physical Characteristic
- Shape: straight pod or curved pod
- Peel: clean brown
- Flesh: delicate and clean color, moist and sticky flesh with little amount of soft, not hard
strings.
- Flavour: sweet and aroma

Production Process

Suitable Environment
(1) Soil: rich soil or sandy clay fertilized with organic matters and sufficient nutrient elements
with good drainage system. The soil floor is more than 1 meter depth. Soil conditions should
have medium acid and alkali combination (pH is between 5-7.5)

(2) Amount of rain. Sweet tamarind tree will grow well if there is regular amount of rain during
the period of flowering and pod maturing. The annual average amount of rain should be
1,000 – 1,300 mm.

(3) Temperature should be between 20 – 35 degrees Celsius.

(4) Relative humidity during the period of flowering and pod maturing should be about 50 – 90%,
and during fully ripe should be less than 60%.

Cultivation
Each sweet tamarind tree should be 6 meters x 6 meters apart.

Harvesting
(1) Harvesting period is in November – April of the following year. They collect only the fully ripe
sweet tamarind.

(2) After harvesting, dry sweet tamarind pod in the sun or fumigate with heat.
Translation provided by the EC-ASEAN Intellectual Property Rights Co-operation Programme (ECAP II)

(5) Relation between product and geographical location:
The landscape of Phetchabun is like the lower part of the cooking pan. Soil conditions are sandy rich soil, clay, and lateritic pebble soil. The lower part of the soil is yellowish brown, red, and black. The acid and alkali condition is with pH 4.50-8.0. The central part of the province is on the Pa Sak River flowing from the north to the south. The landscape is with mountain range, plateau, highland, and plain areas fertilized with phosphorus and potassium, which are suitable for fruit gardening, especially sweet tamarind. The climate in November – April with low relative humidity is suitable for harvesting the fruits.

History: Phetchabun is the province, where the original sweet tamarind, Muen-Jong, was
cultivated at Lom Kao district for more than 300 years ago. In addition, the province is also the
origin for other several kinds of tamarind, which are named according to the pods of the tamarind
such as See Chom Phoo, and See Thong.

(6) Scope of Geographical Area
Sweet tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun, located in lower northern part of Thailand
between 101 eastern longitude degrees and 16 northern latitude degrees. The details are shown
on the map.

(7) Conditions for Registration under Section 15

(1) Develop inspection and monitoring (control) system for the entire process, both at the
manufacturers and provincial levels.

(2) Register agriculturists, who cultivate, distribute and request application for geographical
indications for Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind.

(3) Registered applicants have to compile an operating manual for members requesting to use
Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind Geographical Indication name.

(8) Proof of Origin

(1) Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind must cultivate in the area of Phetchabun province.

(2) Production process must be inspected and monitored, which are to register agriculturists
who cultivate Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind, as well as must have documents to recheck the
process for traceability.