Demand for Thai jasmine rice remains healthy

BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - The Thai Rice Exporters Association says that overseas demand for Thai jasmine rice has remained healthy, with Japan, Indonesia and Singapore being Thailand's major rice importing markets. Thai Rice Exporters Association President Kobsuk Iamsuri, acknowledged that Thai rice exports in February 2012 are expected to exceed 500,000 tonnes, boosted by orders for Thai jasmine, or fragrant rice, from the regular Asian markets. Moreover, Kobsuk revealed, some parboiled rice importing countries had shifted their orders to Thailand, after exports of parboiled rice from India to their markets were delayed. Kobsuk viewed that Thai rice exports in the first half of this year should, however, slow down due to impacts from rice exporting policies of rival countries, namely India, which has increased its target of rice exports from two million tonnes to four million tonnes annually. Vietnam is also penetrating Thailand’s customary jasmine fragrant rice markets and will, probably, gain its added Asian market share at Thailand’s expense, as Hanoi has also targeted to export some 400,000 tonnes of parboiled rice and 800,000 tonnes of jasmine fragrant rice annually in the coming years. According to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, total Thai rice export in January-February 23, 2012 were recorded at 465,000 tonnes, a 41 per cent year-on-year drop. (TNA)