Thailand’s rice exports in January down 38%

Thailand’s rice exports in January down 38%Thailand’s rice exports in January down 38%

BANGKOK, Feb 17 (TNA) - Thailand’s rice exports in January fell 37.74 per cent year-on-year in terms of volume but the Commerce Ministry is confident that exports for calendar 2009 would meet the target of 8.5-9.5 million tonnes, a senior ministry official said Tuesday.

Foreign Trade Department director-general Apiradi Tantraporn said that the country in January shipped only 628,792 tonnes of rice valued at US$331 million compared to 1.01 million tonnes worth $421 million a year ago.

Mrs. Apiradi said Thailand, the world’s largest rice exporter, shipped 941,286 tonnes of rice worth US$508 million between January and February 13 this year, which she said was still good and that the ministry believed that rice exports this year would be between 8.5-9.5 million tonnes.

Exports of cassava are still bright due to demand in the world market, she said, adding that the ministry led Thai cassava traders to visit India recently and was told that India wants to buy more cassava from Thailand for making food seasoning and ethanol. (TNA)