BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Thailand is on course to overtake Vietnam as the world’s second-biggest rice exporter this year, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA).
India tops the list of rice exporters in the first 10 months with 17.06 tonnes million, while Thailand is second with 6.02 million tonnes, the TREA reported on Thursday (Dec 8).
Vietnam, which was the world’s No 2 exporter last year, was pushed into third with 6.01 million tonnes. Pakistan and the United States are in fourth and fifth places, with 3.4 and 1.9 million tonnes, respectively.
The list of biggest rice importers so far this year is led by Iraq with 1.3 million tonnes, followed by South Africa (0.64 million), the US (0.54 million), China (0.53 million), and Benin (0.3 million).
TREA added that in October, Thailand exported 0.79 million tonnes of rice worth 13.97 billion baht, up 24.7% and 20.5% from the previous month, respectively.
It projects exports in November of 0.8 million tonnes, rising higher in December due to demand during the Christmas and New Year holidays. TREA is confident that Thailand’s total rice exports this year will hit the target of 7.5 million tonnes, significantly higher than last year’s total of 6.12 million tonnes.
Thailand’s biggest rice markets are Iraq, South Africa, the US, China, Benin, Japan, Senegal and Angola.
