New Thai government urged to keep on existing rice strategy

BANGKOK, July 3 (TNA) - The new Thai administration has been called for carrying on the existing rice strategy that has made the quality of Thai rice become globally recognized over the past five years and the prices of Thai grains have become stable. Caretaker Deputy Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara voiced the call on Wednesday, acknowledging that the improved quality of the Thai rice, due to the existing “strategy, has led to more purchase orders and exports of Thai grains at as high as 11 tons a year, a historic recorded level. Besides, the existing strategy has resulted in the higher prices of Thai grains at the more stable levels, including those of Hom Mali rice, white rice and glutinous rice, becoming beneficial to local farmers. The caretaker deputy minister also said that the existing strategy has promoted and supported the development of innovative Thai rice products and expanding markets for Thai grains globally. The deputy minister, thus, proposed that the new Thai government should carry on implementing the existing strategy and avoid interfering the market mechanism to sustain the Thai rice sector in the long run. (TNA)