Thailand’s rice exports dropped 24.5 per cent to 5.72 million tonnes in 2020, the lowest in seven years. Thai Rice Exporters Association said the country’s total export value in 2020 stood at 115.9 billion baht (100 BAHT = RM13.38), declining 11.2 per cent year-on-year. It said Thailand, once the world’s second largest exporter of rice, is now the fourth after India, Vietnam and Pakistan. "Strong baht currency, higher price of Thai rice compared to the other rice competitors as well as shortage of shipping containers and rising ocean freight charges were among the factors affecting rice exports in Thailand,” it said in a statement today.
The association said Thai rice exports for January this year fell 23.2 per cent to 421,477 tonnes. "The export value for January stood at 7.82 billion baht,” it said. It projects Thai’s rice export for February to stand between 400,000 and 500,000 tonnes, taking into account outstanding contracts with buyers from Africa, Asia and America. "We do not foresee new purchases in coming months,” it said.