NAKHON SAWAN, 21 June 2011 – The Ministry of Commerce expects that no less than 10 million tons of Thai rice will be exported to other countries in 2011.
Speaking at the Thailand Rice Convention and World Rice Standard Summit 2011 yesterday, Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai stated that the ministry is urgently seeking ways to increase the amount of Thai rice exports in order to maintain the country’s status as the world’s no.1 rice exporter.
Ms Pornthiva reported that a total of 9.05 million tons of rice worth 5.345 billion US dollars were exported to foreign countries in 2010. It is expected that about 20.26 million tons of rice will be produced this year while the export figure will expand to 10 million tons.
The minister also stated that representatives from both the public and private sectors of 50 countries were taking part in the Thailand Rice Convention and World Rice Standard Summit 2011, in order to exchange knowledge useful for the rice trade circle and promote good relationship between Thailand and importers of Thai rice from around the world.
Moreover, Ms Pornthiva hoped that the two events would help promote Thailand as the rice trading hub of the world as well as ready the country for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
The Thailand Rice Convention and World Rice Standard Summit 2011 is taking place from 20 to 23 June in the central province of Nakhon Sawan.
