Rice exports decrease

Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 07:37 am

Foreign Trade Department, announced 3.17 million tonnes of the total will be white rice, shipped primarily to the Philippines, Angola, Benin, Cameroon and China, with parboiled rice making up 2.23 million tonnes and Thai hom mali rice 1.1 million tonnes. The remainder is glutinous rice and other types of grains.

Thailand is expected to ship 7.5 million tonnes of rice this year, a drop below 10 million tonnes for the second straight year, due to the strong baht, decreasing competitiveness and low supply because of widespread drought. Export value is estimated at 131 billion baht this year.

The department said yesterday that Thailand shipped 7.58 million tonnes in 2019, fetching 131 billion baht, down 32% and 25% respectively. The biggest export market was Benin, which imported 1.07 million tonnes of Thai rice, followed by South Africa at 730,000 tonnes and the US at 560,000 tonnes. China also turned from an importer to a rice exporter, draining its huge stocks of 120 million tonnes and reducing the Thai market share in Africa.

Mr Keerati said Thailand lacks diversity in rice varieties to compete in the world market. The government has set up a panel that includes representatives from the Rice Department, the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the Thai Rice Millers Association and farmers to develop soft-textured rice varieties that are popular in the global market.

Because customers’ tastes have changed, the government wants to develop soft-textured grains such as Kor Khor 79 with good quality and high yield. Officials also want rice to compete in the lower-priced segment.

Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said Thailand has shipped the same rice varieties for 30 years and needs a more diverse selection to deal with changing market demand and consumer behaviour.

Latest News From Thailand

Desk Writer

Spends most of the time reading news all around the world. Strong knowledge and understanding of the current situation and happenings in the ASEAN region.

Recent Posts

Sathu 2: Exposing the Dark Pyramid of Faith, Wealth & Power in Thailand

Sathu 2 is a more provocative, less gentle, and more focused version of the changing faith economy in Thailand, exposing…

December 4, 2025

IBTEC Set to Become Asia’s Largest Technopolis Innovation Hub

With the world still scrambling with the need to have state-of-the-art research ecosystems, IBTEC is coming out as the new…

December 4, 2025

How Thailand’s Half–Half Scheme Phase 2 Is Teaching the World New Economic Hacks

The Half-Half Scheme has come back with new avatars as Phase 2 in 2025, named Khon La Khrueng Plus, with…

December 4, 2025

The Untold Side of Momoiro Uta Gassen: 10 Things Fans Don’t Know

Japanese people have iconic music spectacles in the form of celebrating New Year's Eve every year, and this particular one…

December 4, 2025

Malaysia Eyes 4.6% GDP Surge in 2026 as Global Demand Rises

The GDP of Malaysia is expected to increase by 4.6 per cent in 2026, which is a cautious optimism considering…

December 4, 2025

The Changing Face of Young Indonesian Leadership and Zita Anjani

The last few years have seen Indonesia experiencing a wave of young leaders coming to the forefront in powerful positions…

December 4, 2025

This website uses cookies.

Read More