China pulls out of Thailand rice deal

China has cancelled a deal to buy 1.2 million tonnes of Thai rice, about 14% of the country’s annual exports, amid a corruption probe into Bangkok’s troubled agricultural subsidies scheme, Financial Times reported. Beijing was spooked by the Thai national anti-graft agency’s investigation into the rice price support program, Thailand’s commerce minister said. A Thai bank also pulled its support for the project, whose funding shortages are triggering protests from unpaid farmers. The rice scheme’s growing problems are piling pressure on Yingluck Shinawatra, the prime minister, as the opposition tries to unseat her.

Myanmar Rice exports falter on illicit China trade

Rice exports this year are set to fall to less than half of the government target of 3 million-tonnes as traders are withholding stock from its trading partners in an attempt to secure more favourable prices being offered by illicit Chinese importers, officials said.

U Lu Maw Myint Maung, joint secretary general of the Myanmar Rice Federation, told The Myanmar Times, that Myanmar exported nearly 1 million tonnes of rice through the first nine months of the fiscal year at the end of January, falling short of the 1.01 million tonnes of rice exported during the same period last year.

“Because of an unstable local rice price, we have not been able to speed up exports during the rainy season, he said. “If we had, Myanmar would probably have been able to export about 2 million tonnes this year, because there is enough reserve.”

He said that traders are increasingly looking to sell rice through Shan State’s Muse border, alongside China’s Yunnan Province, where they can earn as much as 28 percent more profit by dealing with tax-dodging Chinese

importers.

Though there is nothing illicit about local rice sellers trading over the borders, many Chinese traders are subject to a 17pc import tax on all rice bought from Myanmar, a tax many choose not to pay, he said. While they are then able to offer a better premium on imports, they also tend to not honour contacts and pay significantly less than promised.

“Local traders would not easily be able to reclaim their rice back because of the high transportation charges and would have to sell at the lower price,” U Lu Maw Myint Maung said. “This led to fluctuations in the local price, so that big exporters could not draw up contracts for as much as we

wanted.”

He said that the price of 25pc broken rice on the international market goes for US$315-$320 per tonne. That is compared to the 2480 yuan ($404) the same rice is sometimes sold for through the Muse border. Five percent broken rice, meanwhile, is sold for $405-$415 per tonne in the international markets, well short of the 2740 Yuan (about $446) per tonne it fetches along the Yunnan border.

In an effort to deal with the problem, the government has been in talks with Chinese authorities to try and formalise the rice trade, U Maung Aung, an adviser to the Ministry of Commerce he told The Myanmar Times.

“We have been trying to sign an MOU [memorandum of understanding] with regional governments in China to permit importing rice from Myanmar legally,” he said.

“Although they have not permitted rice imports, market demand is very big, so they seize illicit rice imports from Myanmar only sometimes,” he said.

As a result, experts believe that the price being offered by illicit traders in China would likely not begin to decrease until the end of the high trading season.

“The price [of rice exported to China] is not likely to go down until March as we are now exporting 3000 to 3500 tonnes of rice through Muse a day,” said U Thauk Kyar, an executive member of the Muse rice traders’ association.

The fiscal 2012-2013 total of 1.6 million tonnes was the highest in 46 years, thanks to the demand from China for exports via the newly booming Muse border post, which accounted for 60pc of the total 1.6 million tonnes exported last year, said U Lu Maw Myint Maung, adding that China has faced in increased demand for quality rice over the past year.

However, with Myanmar’s entry into the EU generalised system of preferences last year, Myanmar traders have started to export to Europe, said U Lu Maw Myint Maung.

“EU traders can import rice from Myanmar without paying import taxes if they can prove the country of origin,” he said.

Former joint secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation and rice exporter U Myo Thura Aye said that 10 EU countries, including Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands, are now buying rice from Myanmar.

“We’re exporting 5000 tonnes a month to Europe and 20,000 tonnes to Africa,” he said, adding that a smaller amount is going to the Philippines and Malaysia.

In addition, Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation (MACPO) announced last week that come May they will export up to 8000 tonnes of rice to Japan this year, said U Soe Tun, the company’s director.

“MAPCO is going to export … rice to Japan jointly with Japanese firm Mitsui & Co after it won a tender of Japanese government to import rice,” he said, adding that they would start importing 5pc broken rice at $470 per tonne.





By Zaw Htike

CHINA TO PRODUCE MORE CORN THAN RICE

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) reports that for the first time in history, China is set to produce more corn than rough rice. The shift depicts the growing affluence by the Chinese middle class and their demand for a more protein-rich diet.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised its projection of Chinese corn production from 200 million metric tons (7.9 billion bushels) to 208 million metric tons (8.2 billion bushels). The USDA is also predicting a Chinese rough rice production of a little more than 204 million metric tons.

Rice represents the staple food for India and China, however, data suggests people in China are increasing their desire for animal Protein. China has experience a vast growth in meat demand over the past 20 years; poultry has increased 300 percent, pork consumption has increased 85 percent and beef consumption has increased 155 percent.

"Dramatic shifts in corn production are taking place across the globe," stated Kevin Roepke, USGC manager of global trade, "This is stark evidence that today's corn producer is well poised to take advantage of growing global consumerism."

Quality not enough to support high rice for Thai rice in HK

Thailand cannot count on its reputation for producing high-quality rice and charge too much for it, as the global market is highly competitive and consumers are more willing to accept slightly lower quality to save money on this staple food, Hong Kong traders and Thai exporters agree.

Thailand's Hom Mali (jasmine) rice is losing a large share of the Hong Kong market, which has been one of its major importers, because its price is too high compared with competing varieties from other countries, mainly Vietnam and Cambodia, they said.

After meeting with the Thai Commerce Ministry recently, Kenneth Chan, chairman of the Rice Merchants Association of Hong Kong and vice chairman of the Hong Kong Rice Suppliers Association, said that if the price of Thai rice were US$100 (Bt3,063) per tonne lower, it would regain its lost market share.

"Hong Kong consumer behaviour has changed to lower-quality rice because of high prices of Thai rice and slowing economic growth. The Thai government should set a competitive price for rice, which should be lower than the current price by $100 a tonne in order to narrow the gap between Thai [rice] and its rivals," Chan said.

According to Thailand's Foreign Trade Department, the Kingdom's rice exports to Hong Kong dropped sharply year on year, by 20 per cent, to 177,176 tonnes in the first 10 months of 2012. Of this, about 121,076 tonnes was jasmine rice, or 85.4 per cent of the total volume. Thailand currently has 55 per cent of the Hong Kong rice market, a drop from 90 per cent in 2008.

Meanwhile Vietnam now holds 33 per cent of the Hong Kong rice market, a rapid rise from less than 20 per cent in 2008. Other major rice suppliers to Hong Kong are mainland China with an 8-per-cent share, then Pakistan, Australia and the United States with 2 per cent each.

Lawrence Chong, managing director of Season Rice and Food Holdings, said Thai rice was facing a difficult time due to its overly high price.

"Consumers' behaviour has been changing because Hong Kong people want to buy cheaper products, not only rice. Thailand needs to adjust [to the needs of] Hong Kong consumers to ensure that the country will be able to keep [its current] market share and regain the loss of market share next year," he said.

To promote Thai rice, Chong suggested that the country ensure competitive prices and target direct marketing activities at modern traders and restaurants. The Thai government should also advertise more about methods of preparing Thai rice dishes and prevent the contamination of quality with substandard varieties.

Vuttiphon Wanglee, managing director of Chaithip, a long-time exporter of Thai rice, said the government should focus on marketing and create a competitive price for the product.

Currently, Vietnamese fragrant rice is quoted at only $650 a tonne, while the price of Thai jasmine rice is $1,050.

Vuttiphon said some importers and local restaurants In Hong Kong needed to combine Thai rice with product from other countries to lower their costs.

Chaithip is a major bulk supplier of Hom Mali rice to Hong Kong, exporting about 20,000 tonnes annually.

Samphan Jantrakul, rice export manager of Toumi Foods and Products, said the price of pure Thai Hom Mali rice was 90 Hong Kong dollars (Bt355) for an 8-kilogram bag, while a mixture of Hom Mali and other grains went for HK$75-$80.

He expressed concern about reduced quality of Thai rice resulting in lower market share in the long run.

Toumi Foods and Products has shipped about 20,000-30,000 tonnes of rice to Hong Kong each year, but shipments have dropped by 10 per cent because of lower demand, Samphan said.

Cambodia to ship rice to China

Local rice miller Mega Green said it planned to export about 240 tons of milled rice to the Chinese market by the end of June – a second round of test exports to Cambodia’s northern neighbour.

Renne Outh, owner of Mega Green Imex Cambodia, told the Post yesterday that he signed an agreement with a Chinese company in Shanghai during a business trip there last week.

“I already signed an export agreement with a Chinese company’s Shanghai office. Now, we are working on some paperwork with [the Chinese inspection bureau] to approve us on the certification of the quality of the export to them,” he said.

The shipment would be Mega Green’s first trial to China, and would consists of just 10 containers – a container holds 24 tons of milled rice, said Outh Renne. “We will start to export them by the end of June – it is just a test export, because they want us to eventually export 200 containers per month.”

“Now we are milling our paddy and preparing packaging for them,” he added.

The Post reported last week that China approved local rice miller Golden Rice to export milled rice to China. A trial run the company sent to China earlier this year was refused by the Chinese government upon arrival in the southern port of Shenzhen.

Chan Tong Yves, secretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry also has a quality testing laboratory, but it does not comply with the standards for exporting milled rice.

“Now, if we want to export to them [China], we have to get their service on testing and inspect the quality of our products,” he said. “What is important is that we need to get ratified by the Chinese side. If they accept and buy our milled rice, it sounds great.”

Cham Prasidh, Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce, told the Post on Tuesday that China offered $1 million to Cambodia to upgrade its testing laboratory so it complies with Chinese standards.

“We have agreed with China for a long time on the export of milled rice with no duty, but the barrier for us is the quality standards issue,” he said.

Outh Renne said that for the Chinese market, Cambodia can sell medium-grain sized rice at $510 per ton and long-grain at $425 per ton – but the Chinese market prefers medium sized, which differs from the European market, which prefers long-grain rice.

Chinese Demand Hikes Vietnam Prices

Vietnamese deputy Agriculture Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien has revealed that bulk orders for rice by Chinese traders are driving up rice prices in Vietnam. According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Chinese traders have bought some 600,000 MT of Vietnamese rice since April. In the same period, the price of paddy rice rose from 3,500 dong (0.19 dollars) to 4,600 dong (0.25 dollars) per kilogram. China is not usually one of the major importers of Vietnamese rice, and rarely buys any later than May, Vietnamese media said. The higher Chinese demand is not expected to affect Vietnamese food security. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimates the country will harvest some 39 million MT of paddy rice this year, and can export between 7.2 and 7.4 million MT of processed rice.

China Floods Boost Pests, Threaten Rice Crops

China’s mid-season and late-season rice crops face increasing threats from pests after widespread floods this summer made conditions ideal for insects to breed, the Ministry of Agriculture said today. Twice the amount of pests as last year were detected among crops in provinces from southwestern Guizhou to eastern Zhejiang, the ministry said in a statement on its website. Delayed planting and hotter weather in August and September will also boost breeding, it said, without giving the extent of the damage. China’s early-season rice harvest may decrease by 2.4 percent from last year, or 800,000 metric tons, because of floods, state-owned China National Grain & Oils Information forecast Aug. 4. Total output may still gain 0.8 percent to 196.6 million tons as mid-season and late-season crops are projected to more than offset the losses, it said. The ministry has started a campaign to save crops after the State Council last week urged main farming areas to boost production, the statement said. The government allocated 155 million yuan ($23 million) in emergency funding to promote measures including the proper application of pesticide chemicals, the statement said. Early, mid and late-season crops make up 16.5 percent, 65 percent and 18.5 percent of the harvest, respectively, according to the grain center report. Traders in Vietnam, the second-biggest rice exporter, may have “unofficially” shipped about 600,000 tons to China this year across the nation’s northern border, according to the Vietnam Food Association. Most of the shipments were made from April to July amid signs of increased demand from China, Huynh Minh Hue, general- secretary of the association, said Aug. 16 by phone. Through official channels, Vietnam has shipped less than 100,000 tons to China this year, Hue said. China’s rice output may fall as much as 7 percent this year after floods, Li Qiang, managing director at Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., said this month.

India gets permission to export Basmati rice to China

India will soon be exporting its sweet-smelling rice to China, which recently gave its nod for Indian Basmati to enter its markets. "We have finally got permission to export Basmati to China. This is a new thing," said a high ranking Indian official in Shanghai. The issue of Basmati's exports was raised at the last meeting of the Joint Economic Forum in China last January, which had focused on ways to address market access and trade imbalance. So far, the Gulf region has been the biggest market for Basmati rice, but Indian government has been looking to diversify markets to other countries such as China. India's Ambassador to China, S Jaishankar said efforts were being made to improve the profile of Indian products in China. "We are focusing on trade promotion in 17 different cities in China with special focus on IT, pharmaceuticals, agricultural and engineering products," he said. The bilateral trade has grown exponentially in the last ten years - though there was a slight dip last year to $43.2 billion due to the global recession. But, in the last six months, trade has again picked up and increased by 60 per cent, compared to the same period last year. India's exports to China have also risen by 75 per cent, but they have mainly been raw products, like minerals, cotton and cotton yarn. Besides Basmati, India is aiming to increase exports of other agricultural items such as mangoes and okra. "We have been in negotiation for two years for export of okra," an Indian official said. Indian President Pratibha Patil Sunday met chief of Shanghai Communist Party, Yu Zhengsheng, where the issue of improving the trade balance came up. According to Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, the senior Chinese leader also stressed the need for balancing trade. She said Yu conveyed that this imbalance was "not good" for China in the long term and assured Patil that the Chinese government was giving serious thought to the problem. President Patil also raised the issue of setting up of Chinese banks in India. There were 11 Indian banks operating in China, with four of them - State Bank of India, Bank of India, Canara Bank and Bank of Baroda - having full-fledged offices. On the last day of her six-day trip, Patil will be addressing businessmen and entrepreneurs at the China Business Forum Monday.

Price of rice rises in south China

The price of rice in most shops in this Guangdong provincial capital have increased 10 percent in the past month due to the severe drought in southwestern China. Huang Weijuan, a Guangzhou housewife, said she spent 55 yuan ($8) to buy a bag of rice in Taojin agricultural bazaar in the city's Yuexiu district over the weekend. "But the price for the same bag of rice, which weighs 20 kg, was about 50 yuan a month ago," Huang said. And the price of courgette, a vegetable which mainly grows in Yunnan province, is now selling at 5 yuan per kg in the bazaar, up 0.5 yuan from last month, Huang said. "The price of many foods and vegetables have gone up in the past month and I worry that prices will keep increasing," she said. "I've heard in the media that the drought in southwestern China will not ease up until May," she said. According to a report from Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News, some traders have been investigated for trying to corner the market for rice and Chinese herbs in case of a future price hike in Guangzhou. And relevant departments have promised to launch an investigation and punish those who illegally raise prices. A grocery boss who only gave his family name as Mo said he had to raise the price of rice because his costs have grown in the past month. Zeng Xingfu, deputy director of the price supervision center under the Guangdong provincial bureau of prices, however, refuted the drought in southwestern China had led to the price hike for rice, vegetables and other foods in the southern province. "Southwestern China, including Yunnan and Guizhou provinces that have been hardest hit by the drought, is not a major grain production base in the country, and the provinces in southwestern China are not the major source regions for Guangdong's grains," Zeng said. He said Guangdong mainly purchases grains from bordering Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. "The drought in southwestern China will not result in the fluctuation of grain prices in the whole country as China achieved bumper grain harvests six years running up to the end of 2009," he added. Affected by the severe drought, the prices of tea, fresh flowers and some Chinese herbs that are mainly produced in southwestern China have witnessed big increases in Guangdong in the past month.

COFCO launches rice processing base in Jilin

COFCO Group, which is a leading foodstuff company in China and is controlled by the central government, on Mar. 16 inked an agreement to build a base for rice processing in Jilin Economic and Technological Development Zone in Jilin Province, sources reported. The state-owned food giant intends to invest RMB 600 million in the project, which will have an area of 20 hectares and will be able to process 300,000 tons of rice per year. The sales revenue of project is expected to exceed RMB 700 million. China Agri-Industries Holdings Ltd<0606>, a subsidiary of COFCO Group, plans to invest in non-grain ethanol plants in Guangdong Province and Hainan Province, said Ning Gaoning, board chairman of the parent. However, the plan is subject to approval from the National Development and Reform Commission.

GM paddy rice to hit China market shortly: expert

Genetically modified (GM) paddy rice is expected to be available in the market in about three to five years, according to a Ministry of Agriculture think tank member. Huang Dafang, a member of the think tank on the safety of GM food, rejected suggestions by four delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) that the commercialization of GM foods should be slowed down. "Our conclusion is clear. We are technically ready and have strong international competitive strength," Huang told Guangzhou Daily in Tuesday's edition. Huang said assessments from both the research center and other parties, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, proved that GM rice is as safe as traditionally grown rice. The think tank has been studying and analyzing GM foods in China since 1999, and over 10 tons of GM rice is being tested on animals. But some experts and politicians said GM foods come with unknown risks. Cheng Enfu, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), told hexun.com Tuesday that risks are hard to be assessed, and warned that there is a possibility of gene pollution. He called for legislation to supervise the commercialization, import and sales of GM grains and materials. Yuan Longping, a Chinese agricultural scientist and educator, told the national committee of CPPCC on Friday that the government should be prudent when approving the commercialization of GM plants. "Scientists cannot fully predict what kind of mutation might result from gene modification and the possible danger to the environment and human beings," Yuan said. The impact of GM foods will not be fully known until several decades later, he noted. He said it takes "two generations of people to prove the safety of GM foods," and called on volunteers to join him to eat GM foods to prove its safety. "If there is nothing wrong with the children of these volunteers, then the food is safe," Yuan said. But Yuan also said denying GM foods without scientific evidence is not appropriate. "GM foods are unavoidable and it's the future; more efforts should be paid in the research and application of GM techniques," he said. GM plants, often produced to resist pests and insect damage, can raise output and are relatively cheaper than traditional foods, scientists said. In November, the ministry granted safety certificates to two types of GM paddy rice and one type of GM corn produced domestically, for the first time. Last Tuesday, the ministry denied speculation that they gave the green light to import GM seeds and allowed largescale domestic cultivation, China Philanthropy Times reported Tuesday.

China Rice report

Production Total rice production is estimated at 196 MMT (unmilled) in MY 2009/10, up three percent from the previous estimate and two percent from the previous year, mainly attributed to record yields of early season Indica in southern China. Total estimated planted area is 29.5 million Ha, up one percent from the previous year and unchanged from the previous estimate. Early-season rice production is estimated at 33 MMT, 1.5 MMT higher than previous year. Because of favorable weather conditions, early season Indica rice yield reached a record high of 5.7 MT/Ha in MY 2009/10. Except for Heilongjiang Province, all major rice producing provinces reported an above average yield for late season Indica rice and Japonica rice. In Heilongjiang Province, the Japonica rice yield and quality was damaged by low temperatures and excessive rainfall in June and July. Rice production for MY 2010/11 is forecast at 197 MMT, up one percent from the previous year, assuming average yields. Acreage is forecast to rise one percent from the previous year. The central government's price support program (see Policy section) has guaranteed reasonable returns for rice farmers. Consumption MY 2009/10 overall rice consumption is estimated at 134.5 MMT (milled), up three percent from the previous estimate and one percent from the previous year. For food consumption, traditionally, Indica rice is favored by consumers in southern China while Japonica rice is favored in northern China. As discussed in the wheat section, surveys show per capita in-house grain consumption (including rice and wheat) declined gradually over the previous years and this trend is projected to continue. In addition to food use (for human consumption), low quality early rice varieties and stale or rancid rice reserves are used to feed swine and poultry in both commercial farms and rural households. High corn prices in MY 2009/10 resulted in a greater proportion of both rice and wheat being used for animal feed use. While there is no reliable data on feed rice use, Post estimates that approximately 11 MMT of rice (unmilled) was used for feed in MY 2009/10. Source: World Trade Atlas Trade Rice imports in MY 2009/10 are estimated at 300,000 MT, and forecast to increase 10 percent to 330,000 MT in MY 2010/11. Most imports are Thai fragrant rice varieties, which are consumed in hotels or restaurants in more affluent coastal cities or by high income populations. Such imports are expected to continue to rise in tandem with increasing consumer incomes, making Thai rice more affordable. However, traditional dietary habits still persist in most of China and the average consumer still favors local rice varieties as a staple food. Rice exports in MY 2009/10 are estimated at 850,000 MT, 8.5 percent higher than the previous year. China’s exports of rice in MY 2010/11 are forecast to increase to 900,000 MT. The steady rise in exports could be attributed to improved management on rice quality at processing plants. Due to geographical proximity and Japanese rice processing investment in China, nearby Asian markets such as Japan and Korea favor China’s Japonica rice varieties from the northeast. Prior to 2008, China exported low quality Indica rice to African countries and traders benefited from a 13 percent VAT export rebate. In 2008, the GOC removed the VAT rebate to discourage exports of rice and other grains. However, China continues to export a small but highly profitable volume of Japonica varieties to Japan and South Korea. Exports are subject to a quota levied by the importing country and no substantial increase is expected, but the current volume is forecast to continue over the next two years. Stocks While official national reserve data are not available, Post estimates ending stocks for MY 2009/10 at 41 MMT (milled), and forecasts they will grow to 43 MMT in MY 2010/11, given the six most recent years of production increases.

Gene rice on its way in China

Genetically modified rice cleared for commercial sale could be growing on Chinese farms as early as next year, making China the first country to allow commercial cultivation of GM strains. The field trials required for any new variety are now under way, following official safety clearance November.

Two varieties, called Huahui 1 and Bt Shanyou 63, received clearance and should be launched within the next two years. Both contain "Bt" proteins from the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium to protect them against the rice stem borer, the most serious rice pest in China.

"I expect that large-scale production of these two insect-resistant rices will occur in 2011 in Hubei province, one of the major rice production regions in China," says Jikun Huang, director of the Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

If all goes well in Hubei, Huang expects rapid commercial approval elsewhere in China. He brushes aside the idea that the GM varieties may damage trade by contaminating exports, pointing out that exports account for less than 1 per cent of the country's total rice production.

Previous experimental field trials of GM rice varieties in China, including the two now poised for commercialisation, showed that they benefited poor farmers and decreased their exposure to harmful pesticides.

Bob Zeigler, director of the non-profit International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, the Philippines, is optimistic about the future of GM rice, saying that GM technology can deliver unique traits that are otherwise unobtainable. This year, farmers in India and the Philippines have begun receiving a flood-tolerant rice developed at the IRRI which is non-GM but was developed using knowledge from GM studies.

Manila rice auction fails to attract enough bids

A Philippine rice auction attracted only around 335,500 tons of tenders, below the 550,000 tons required, and at high prices, Reuters calculations on Tuesday showed. Prices ranged from $618.5-$745 a ton, including cost and freight, from 10 bidders. At the government's last rice tender in January, the average price was $474.41 per ton. Vina Foods submitted the largest tender of 128,000 tonn, to be sourced from Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. The other trading firms said the would source their bids from the same three countries and China.

Successful negotiation for expansion of jasmine rice market in China

A negotiation for an expansion of Hom Mali or fragrant rice and rice product market in China has been successful more than expected, according to Thailand's Foreign Trade Department.

Apiradi Tantraporn, the department’s director-general, said she had recently assigned her deputy Vijak Visetnoi to take a team of trade representatives to Xiamen, a coastal city in southeastern Fujian province of China, for the negotiation to expand the fragrant rice and rice product market there.

During the trip, many activities had been conducted to promote consumption and distribution of Thai jasmine rice in Wal-Mart Department Store.

In addition, an exhibition of the fragrant rice was organised in the city where rice ambassadors and media members paid much attention to the rice and its products such as rice oil and noodles. It led to a signing of six contracts with Chinese importers.

In the first five months of this year, Thailand’s rice exports totaled 3.3 million tonnes. Of this, 1.19 million tonnes are jasmine rice.

The rice exports to China totaled 174,894 tonnes. Of this, 118,059 tonnes are jasmine rice.

China to buy more fragrant rice

Negotiations for an expansion of Hom Mali or fragrant rice and rice product market in China has been successful more than expected, according to Thailand's Foreign Trade Department.

In the first five months of this year, Thailand’s rice exports totaled 3.3 million tonnes. Of this, 1.19 million tons are jasmine rice. The rice exports to China totaled 174,894 tonnes. Of this, 118,059 tons are jasmine rice.