Thailand in top three for rice exports
Thailand plans to overtake Vietnam in rice exports this year after shipments rose to 2.62 million tons in the first four months, according to government spokesman Anuch Burapachaisri.
This is a 14.41 percent increase over the same period last year. The government estimates that total rice exports in 2023 will exceed 8 million tons, up significantly from last year's 7.69 million tons, which put Thailand in third place among the world's rice exporters after India and Vietnam.
"The increase in rice exports is the result of the government's ongoing campaign to improve rice breeds, which has led to the development of 21 new breeds over the past three years," he said, adding that the campaign plans to develop 12 more rice breeds over the next five years.
Anucha said the government has also promoted trade fairs and negotiations with existing trading partners, as well as seeking customers in new markets such as Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
Thailand's biggest rice importers last year were Iraq, Indonesia, South Africa, the United States and China.
"The government also supports rice exporters to participate in international trade events such as the China-Asia Fair, the Fine Food Expo in Australia and the Anuga Fair in Germany," he said. "As for domestic fairs, the government promoted the organization of THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2023 last month through public relations campaigns based on the concept of 'Think Rice, Think Thailand.
"Interim Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha believes that through the cooperation of all stakeholders, Thailand can become the world's second-largest rice exporter this year," Anucha said. "Thai rice is recognized worldwide for its quality and flavor, and the continuous development of the breed helps it meet buyers' needs."
Thai rice exports increased significantly in volume and value in the first quarter
Rice exports from Thailand rose 8.48 percent year on year to more than 2 million tons in the first quarter of this year, government spokesman Anuch Burapachaisri said Tuesday.
He said 2.06 million tons of rice worth 38.06 billion baht were exported from January to March this year, an increase of 29.26% over last year. Of the total exports, 16.38% was bought by Iraq, followed by Indonesia (13.08%), the United States (8.62%), South Africa (8.24%) and Senegal (5.86%).
Anucha said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha thanked relevant agencies for developing selling markets, which is crucial to increasing rice exports in the global market.
"The prime minister also urged the relevant agencies to maintain standards and quality to maintain the reputation of Thai rice in the world market," he said. He added that Thai rice is popular in the world market because of its unique characteristics and product quality. Anucha added that the Foreign Trade Department organized the Thailand Rice Convention 2023 event in Chiang Rai on April 24-25.
He said the purpose of the event was to raise farmers' awareness on how to grow different types of rice and check its standard before exporting, as well as the world market situation.
The event was also in line with the Thai Rice Production Strategy (2020-2024), which aims to make Thailand a world leader in rice production and marketing, he said. He added that the Ministry of Commerce plans to export 7.5-8 million tons of Thai rice this year.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
