Thailand works to develop organic rice market.(Photo: nationmultimedia.com)
Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai Government needs to find the right marketsfor organic rice before encouraging farmers to increase the cultivating areafrom 300,000 rai (48,000 hectares) to 1 million rai in 2019, said President ofthe Thai Rice Exporters Association Charoen Leothamatas.
He said that local farmers want specific instruction on how to grow organicrice in line with global standards before cultivating them in a large scale.
The government plays an important role in helping farmers apply internationalstandards into growing organic rice, from providing seedlings to seekingmarkets.
Meanwhile, Montri Gosalawat, Secretary-General of the Progressive FarmerAssociation, said that it is considerable potential for markets of Thai organicrice if local farmers know how to develop seedlings to meet demands ofconsumers in large markets like the US or the EU.
The global demand for organic rice averages 10,000 tonnes per year, of which Thailandexports half. With the demand growth of 20 percent a year, Thailand has greatpotential to develop and export organic rice if the government supportsknowledge, applications for certification and development of seedlings andmarket sourcing.
Production costs for organic rice are normally cheaper than chemical ricefarms. However its price is higher because growing time is longer, which meansthere is just one crop a year, while demand is higher in both domestic andforeign markets.
The Thai government targets to attract 3 million farmers in organic riceplantation in an area of 10 million rai by 2021 so that organic riceproductivity can expanded 200 percent and organic rice can be sold at lowerprice.
Currently, the export of organic rice from Thailand accounts for only 5,000tonnes of a total 11 million tonnes exported per year.-VNA
VNA
