Bangkok (VNA) – TheThai Rice Exporters Association has expressed concern that the strong baht islikely to curb rice exports in 2018, Thai media reported on December 12.
Thailand is expected to export9.5 million tonnes of rice next year, lower than the volume of 11 milliontonnes the country targets to ship abroad in 2017, due to the strong baht, saidPresident of the Thai Rice Exporters Association Charoen Laothammatas.
The baht has gained more than 9percent to 32.5 baht per USD in early December, the highest in the past 31months.
The country has exported 10.3million tonnes of rice so far this year, up 16.3 percent from the same periodlast year thanks to strong demand during the year-end holiday season.
Thailand sets to export 11million tonnes of rice in 2017 but experts believed that even if the countryachieves the goal, it cannot reclaim its title as the world’s biggest riceexporter as India has to date shipped abroad more than 11 million tonnes.-VNA