Thai rice exports on the rise

BANGKOK, September 1 (TNA) - The Thai Rice Exporters Association reports that Thailand exported 5.62 million tons of rice during the first seven months of this year, with the exports of Thai grains standing at a peak of 941,000 tons in July, the new high in three years. The association said on Monday that the value of Thai rice exports during the first seven months of this year totaled 90.85 billion baht, a 20.6 per cent year-on-year growth, while the total volume of Thai rice exports of 5.62 million tons during the January-July 2014 period soared by 55.5 per cent year-on-year. The report indicated that the volume of Thai rice exports has continually increased from June 2014 and the total export of Thai grains amounted at 941,691 tons in July, the highest monthly export volume after 1.01 tons in August 2011. According to the report, the first top five buyers of Thai rice during the first seven months of this year included Benin (689,329 tons), China (338,170 tons), Ivory Coast (325,558 tons), Nigeria (321,955 tons) and Cameroon (281,905 tons). In July alone, exports of Thai white rice totaled 448,652 tons, a 10 per cent increase from June, with the lion’s share destined for Ivory Coast (58,009 tons), followed by Malaysia (42,074 tons) and China (36,959 tons). The association acknowledged that established markets in Africa and the Middle East have ordered more Thai rice, including white and parboiled rice. Besides, the Thai government has concluded a contract to deliver more rice to the Chinese government, with its shipment expected in the near future. (TNA)