Thai rice sold at a supermarket in Bangkok on March 4, 2020 (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s rice export volume is estimated to reach 5.7 million tonnes in 2020 with revenue of about 3.8 billion USD, down 12 percent year on year, according to Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) Honorary President Chookiat Ophaswongse.
He explained that Thai rice export has faced many obstacles throughout the year, including higher price when compared to competitors.
The TREA held that the situation has been aggravated by the increased baht price, along with the shortage of containers for transporting rice.
Chookiat Ophaswongse said that it would be the first time that Thai exports would be lower than that of Vietnam, which is expected to export a total of 6 million tonnes.
In recent years, Thailand has lost its position of world top rice exporters to India and Vietnam. The Southeast Asian nation produces over 20 million tonnes of rice each year, a half of which is exported.
In 2019, Thailand exported 7.58 million tonnes of rice, earning 131 billion baht (4.13 billion USD), down 32 percent in volume and 25 percent in value year-on-year. Earlier this month, Chookiat Ophaswongse predicted that Thailand’s total rice export volume this year would reach 5.8 million tonnes in 2020 and 7 million tonnes in 2021./.
VNA
