Thailand adjusts rice strategy to improve competitiveness
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has pledged to speed up adjustment of the country’s rice strategy as quickly as possible as the industry is facing an array of challenges, including a strong baht and rising production costs.
Farmers harvest rice in Nakhon Pathom province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thai Deputy Prime Minister andCommerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has pledged to speed up adjustment of thecountry’s rice strategy as quickly as possible as the industry is facing anarray of challenges, including a strong baht and rising production costs.
Local media quoted the official as saying afterpresiding over a recent Thai hom mali fragrant rice fair that riceexports have fared poorly since the beginning of last year because of foreignexchange swings and the ascendant baht, making Thai rice more expensive thancompeting grains.
The country’s Ministry of Commerce is pursuing arice strategy to improve competitiveness, covering all systems including marketing,cultivation and R&D of new rice varieties, Jurin said, noting that it isalso working to find ways to reduce production costs for farmers to make Thairice more affordable.
He added it is promoting seven rice products andseed development as part of a marketing-led production strategy for 2020-24recently announced by the ministry.
Jurin said the ministry will work closely withthe Thai Rice Exporters Association to seek new trade partners to expand theexport market, as Thai rice remains in strong demand globally given itsquality.
The ministry has also ordered commercialambassadors in various countries to accelerate seeking new markets and promoteThai rice to reach more consumers in overseas markets.
The official confirmed that the strong baht andthe coronavirus pandemic are the main obstacles for rice exports this year.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association recentlylowered its export forecast for 2020 to 6.5 million tonnes, the lowest in 20years, from an earlier forecast of 7.5 million due to a host of headwinds./.
The price of Thai rice is higher than that of competitors due to limited supply and the strengthening of the baht, which could hurt exports, the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) said.
The National Rice Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has approved a rice price guarantee scheme for the 2020-2021 crop, offering guaranteed prices at the same rates as during the previous season.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association on July 22 predicted that the country’s 2020 rice exports will drop to 6.5 million tonnes, the lowest volume in two decades, owing to drought and a strong baht currency.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Farmers harvest rice in Nakhon Pathom province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
