BANGKOK, 18th February 2018 (NNT) – The Commerce Ministry is planning to promote the production of a new type of rice to serve growing foreign demand.

Deputy Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara said today that the National Food Authority of the Philippines reportedly plans to open bidding for the supply of around 250,000 tons of rice in March.

Ms. Chutima said that the auction plan presents a good opportunity for the Thai rice industry as it means a potential market for the new harvest of Thailand’s off-season rice crop.

She said that while white rice makes up the biggest proportion of exported Thai rice, there is keen price competition on the world market, where Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia have also been offering supplies of medium quality rice that meets the demands of consumers with limited purchasing power.

Th Deputy Commerce Minister added that, as the demand for white rice grown on soft soil is increasing, the Commerce Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry are collaborating on the promotion of this type of rice, which can fetch a higher price than that of the rice grown on hard soil, which Thailand has long been offering for sale.

National News Bureau Of Thailand | Commerce Ministry to promote more rice production to serve foreign markets