BANGKOK, 24 May 2013 Japan is set to order more rice from Thailand due to its confidence in the quality of Thai grain, according to the Commerce Ministry.
Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, on Thursday, chaired the signing ceremony for an MOU on Thai rice trade between the Thai Rice Exporters Association and the Japan Sake Brewers’ Association.
Mr. Boonsong stated that the Japan Sake Brewers’ Association has expressed an interest to buy more rice from Thailand. Currently, the association buys around 20,000 tons of Thai rice.
He said Japan has asked Thai rice producers to make strict inspection of the quality of the grain, starting from the growing stage to the harvesting stage, in order to assure its supreme attribute.
The Commerce Minister said he has asked the Foreign Trade Department to handle the request.
Meanwhile, Thailand has asked Japan to pledge to buy the maximum quantity of rice that the agreed quota allows, or 250,000 tons, from the country, after last year’s exports of rice to Japan totaled around 190,000 tons.
