Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Thai Commerce Minister Wants Rice Bidding Condition Revised

The bidding for 500,000 tons of rice in the government's stockpile continues to create a headache for the current adminsitration.
The Commerce Minister will ask the Prime Minister to allow rice traders to purchase the rice stockpile in smaller consignments.

Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai stated the ministry has decided to postpone the date to release the details of the bidding for the new lot of 500,000 tons of rice from the government's stock to July 27.

Porntiva explained that buyers are only interested in buying specific types of rice and in smaller consignments. However, it is not possible to do so as the Cabinet requires the bid winner to purchase all the 500,000 tons of rice from the stockpile resulting from the rice-pledging scheme.

The government stock contains a variety of different types of rice, including jasmine, white and Pathum Thani fragrant rice.

Porntiva said the requirement could discourage rice traders from buying the rice. Traders have said they are unwilling to buy the rice in such a large quantity.

The minister plans to consult with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, in his capacity as the chairman of the National Rice Policy Committee, to allow some traders to purchase only certain types of rice.

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