Thai rice exports exceed 10m tons in 2017

BANGKOK, November 23 (TNA) - Thai rice exports have reached 10.2 million tons so far this year, excluding a new lot of parboiled rice set to be shipped to Bangladesh by next month. According to official statistics released by the Customs Department, Thai rice exports stood at 10.2 million tons during January 1-November 21, 2017, worth about 4.5 billion US dollars or 150 billion baht. The government, through the Ministry of Commerce, has set its target of overall Thai rice exports in 2017 at about 10 million tons. Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn told journalists on November 22 that the Bangladeshi government has already approved the import of 150,000 tons of 5 per cent parboiled rice from the Thai government, as earlier negotiated between her ministry's Department of Foreign Trade and Bangladesh's Ministry of Food. Apiradi said the 150,000 tons of Thai parboiled rice are likely to be shipped to Bangladesh by the end of this year, as her ministry will invite an authorized representative of the Bangladeshi government to sign the government-to-government agreement in Bangkok soon after pending official procedures of both sides are concluded. (TNA)