Saving The Bangmod Tangerines

The Bangmod tangerine is a local cultivar of the mandarin orange. It has officially been designated as a geographical indication of the Bangmod area, which covers eight districts in Bangkok. The ideal soil conditions in this area make the tangerines very tasty. However, the Bangmod tangerine orchards have been hit by drought and flooding several times, causing the farmers who rented the land to abandon farming. Many of the landowners have shifted to shrimp farming. Some of the lands were sold to investors. Attempts to preserve and restore the Bangmod tangerine orchards have been made on various occasions. Farmers' motivation, government agency support, and having a learning resource within a community are key factors in the conservation of the Bangmod tangerines. Some orange orchards can still be seen today.