Wedoany.com Report-May 28, Thailand is advancing its rice industry by showcasing premium and unique rice varieties at the 10th Thailand Rice Convention (TRC) 2025, held in Bangkok on Monday. Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan emphasized the government’s commitment to strengthening the rice sector, expecting the event to secure orders for 100,000 tonnes of rice, generating over 2 billion baht in revenue.

The Ministry of Commerce, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, is focused on aligning rice production with market demand and exploring new opportunities. The initiative promotes high-quality varieties such as jasmine rice, organic rice, low-carbon rice, geographical indication (GI) rice, and specialty rice, alongside halal food products. These are targeted at markets with strong purchasing power, including the EU, Japan, and the Middle East, supporting the “Thailand: Kitchen of the World” initiative to enhance food security.

“TRC 2025 serves as a vital platform for trade negotiations between Thai rice exporters and global importers,” said Pichai. The government aims to maintain its 2025 rice export target of 7.5 million tonnes, building on discussions with key international buyers to drive economic growth.

Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, expressed confidence in meeting the export goal despite global market challenges. “The US reciprocal tariffs do not pose a significant challenge for Thai rice exports, as they may encourage US importers to source from Asian suppliers,” he said. However, he noted the need to monitor India’s rice export policies and the strengthening baht, given India’s record-breaking 140 million tonnes of milled rice production, the highest in 50 years.

Global rice market dynamics present challenges, with major buyers like Indonesia potentially reducing imports due to oversupply and declining demand. Thailand’s rice exports in the first four months of 2025 totaled 2.4 million tonnes, a 30% decrease from the same period in 2024, with a 34% drop in export value to $1.5 billion. White rice exports fell 51% to 986,000 tonnes, broken white rice dropped 40% to 127,000 tonnes, and glutinous rice decreased 15% to 88,000 tonnes. However, Hom Mali rice exports rose 3% to 590,000 tonnes, Hom Mali broken rice grew 4% to 182,000 tonnes, and parboiled rice increased 14% to 365,000 tonnes.

Thailand remains focused on leveraging its high-quality rice varieties and strategic trade platforms like TRC 2025 to strengthen its position in the global market, fostering economic growth and sustainable agricultural development.