Strong baht is likely to curb rice exports in 2018. (Photo: AFP/VNA) Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai Rice Exporters Association has expressed concern that the strong baht is likely to curb rice exports in 2018, Thai media reported on December 12.
Thailand is expected to export 9.5 million tonnes of rice next year, lower than the volume of 11 million tonnes the country targets to ship abroad in 2017, due to the strong baht, said President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association Charoen Laothammatas.
The baht has gained more than 9 percent to 32.5 baht per USD in early December, the highest in the past 31 months.
The country has exported 10.3 million tonnes of rice so far this year, up 16.3 percent from the same period last year thanks to strong demand during the year-end holiday season.
Thailand sets to export 11 million tonnes of rice in 2017 but experts believed that even if the country achieves the goal, it cannot reclaim its title as the world’s biggest rice exporter as India has to date shipped abroad more than 11 million tonnes.-VNA
VNA
