Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand has seen a surge inrice exports to Indonesia in recent months as the island country has beenseverely hit by drought.
Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Naphinthorn Srisanpangsaid Indonesia ranked 20th on Thailand’s list of rice importers last year, ordering 91,714 tonnes of rice worth 42.24 million USD.
In the first 10 months of this year, that volume increased dramatically to 1.05 million tonnes of rice worth 523.45 million USD, making Indonesia the number one importer of Thai rice.
Thai Deputy Commerce Minister Naphinthorn Srisanpangsaid Indonesia ranked 20th on Thailand’s list of rice importers last year, ordering 91,714 tonnes of rice worth 42.24 million USD.
In the first 10 months of this year, that volume increased dramatically to 1.05 million tonnes of rice worth 523.45 million USD, making Indonesia the number one importer of Thai rice.
Naphinthorn said that drought has impacted Indonesia’s rice-growing areas, especially inJava and parts of South Sumatra. Farmers in highland areas have been forced to cultivateplants that consume less water such as corn, he was quoted by local media assaying on December 5.
Thailand’s rice exports in the January-October periodtotalled 6.92 million tonnes worth 3.96 billion USD, up 11.4% and 24.7 % yearon year respectively. The top five importers were Indonesia, the US, SouthAfrica, Iraq and China.
The demand for rice is likely to increase due to drought andEl Nino's impact on rice production, Naphinthorn said, adding that concernsabout food security have pushed many countries to import rice to meet domesticdemand.
To increase exports and promote Thai rice among new consumers, he held that Thailandneeds to accelerate its development of rice varieties, focusing on boostingcompetitiveness and meeting consumers’ demands.
Farmers should seek guidelines to deal with climate changeand follow government agencies’ water management measures to mitigate theimpact of drought, the official added./.
VNA
