On July 31, Charoen Laothamatas, President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, stated that the country's rice industry is benefiting from increased demand from Indonesia to maintain food security.
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Thailand exported 1.2 million tons of rice in June, a 78.7% increase compared to the same period last year. (Source: Bangkok Post) |
Rice exports in the first half of this year reached US$3.30 billion (118.67 billion Baht), with June alone accounting for US$644 million (23.16 billion Baht).
Mr. Charoen attributed the increase in exports in June to the Indonesian government 's food security policies. However, the outlook for Thailand's rice exports in the second half of the year remains uncertain, as the industry would be severely impacted if India lifted its ban on white rice exports and entered the global rice market.
According to Charoen, the immediate outlook for Thailand's rice industry remains bleak due to prices. Bangkok should address this by increasing productivity, generating more income for farmers, and boosting competitiveness.
The chairman of the Thai Rice Exporters Association raised the issue: "Thai rice is still more expensive than rice from neighboring countries. For example, rice from Vietnam is about $30/ton cheaper than Thai rice. This difference is due to Bangkok only producing 400kg of rice per rai, compared to 900kg per rai in Vietnam."
Although demand for rice is increasing, Mr. Charoen predicts that demand will slow down due to increased yields thanks to heavy rainfall. He hopes that Thailand will export 7.5 million tons of rice this year as planned.
According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Indonesia plans to import 3.6 million tons of rice this year, mainly from Thailand and Vietnam. The Indonesian National Logistics Agency (Bulog) has opened a tender for rice imports of approximately 300,000 tons per month. Bulog anticipates Jakarta will import 1.5 million tons of Thai rice this year, helping the country achieve its 2024 target.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects global rice production in 2024-2025 to reach 528.17 million tons, a 1.4% increase from 520.87 million tons in 2023-2024.
The ministry predicts that rice exports from India, Cambodia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, the European Union (EU), Australia, and the United States will increase. However, exports from Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar, China, Guyana, and Türkiye are expected to decrease.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/gao-thai-lan-huong-loi-nho-chinh-sach-moi-tu-indonesia-280970.html
