Rice Prices Remain Stable: Commerce Ministry

BANGKOK, Oct 21 (TNA) - Thai Commerce Ministry says rice prices remain stable in playing down reports that prices of Thai rice in world market have decreased. Rice exports of Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter after India in the first eight months of this year, is down almost 11 percent in August, after the country shipped 6.06 million tons of rice worth 96.23 billion, up 2.9% year-on-year by volume. Duangpon Rodpayat, Director of the International Trade, said Thailand had continuously received purchasing orders from buyers such as China and the Philippines. For China, the country has placed the first purchase order for 100,000 tons of Thai rice under a government-to-government (G2G) contract for a total of one million tons agreed last December, said Duangpon. Thailand will take part in Philippine government’s bidding to buy 250,000 tons of rice. The Director said she planned to visit trading partners like Malaysia and Indonesia seeking to complete rice deals as parts of a roadshow mission to promote sales abroad. (TNA)