Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai Governmen🅠t announced its plan to free more than 13 million tonnes of rice stockpiled in war🐲ehouses across the nation by mid-2017.
After the latest auction in December 2015, Thai rice reserve has remained at approximately 13.7 million tonnes.
The first attempt to realise the 2017 target is to sell 2 million tonnes of rice through government-to-government (G2G) deals in 2016, mainly with China, the Philippines and Indonesia.
The country has sealed a contract to sell rice for China valued at some 929 million USD. Meanwhile, the Philippines has unveiled its intention to buy up to 400,000 tonnes of rice as local supply is facing shortage due to prolonged drought and natural disasters.
This year, the Government’s focus will be on strategies to clear rice stocks and create sustainable growth for rice production and marketing. Rice auctions are scheduled to take place all year round.
Rice export is expected to reach at least 9 million tonnes, compared to almost 10 million tonnes shipped in 2015.
To facilitate more exports, the Government is considering providing soft loans for rice exporters that explore new markets, particularly those in Africa, as they would face a high risk in diversifying sales to such areas.-VNA
The Indonesian government has announced its intent to purchase rice from Vietnam and Thailand through government-to-government deals and its representatives will soon begin negotiations.
The Thai Government announced on November 9 that the country has won a contract to supply 500,000 tonnes of rice to Indonesia for 8 billion THB (roughly 223 million USD).
Thailand’s rice export prospects are brightening with shipments expected at 9.5 – 10 million tonnes next year, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.
Thailand plans to produce about 25 million tonnes of rice in the 2016-2017 crop instead of the normal production output of between 31-32 million tonnes in the last periods.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
Illustrative photo (Source: bloomberg.com)
