BANGKOK, May 4 (TNA) – Thailand’s rice exports are
forecast to fall this year due to lower output caused by drought and weaker
competitiveness, says the Thai Rice Exporters’ Association.
Although Thailand shipped nearly 600,000 tonnes of rice in
April the outlook for Thai rice exports remained grim, said the Association,
citing the COVID-19 lockdown measures’ impact on Thai competitors such as
Vietnam and India.
The Association said Thailand exported 1.46 million tonnes of
rice in the first quarter, a 39.1 percent drop from the same period of last
year.
Thailand’s domestic demand continues to grow as the total
output is expected to drop this year due to drought. Therefore, prices of Thai rice are higher
than the competitors in the global market, the Associations’ statement says.
The exporters group earlier predicted rice exports in 2020
to fall to the lowest in seven years.
Drought disaster has been declared in many rice-producing
provinces in Thai North and Northeast. (TNA)
