Ministry seeks to resume small-lot rice sales in August
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION


A file photo shows a soldier inspecting rice stockpiles at a warehouse in a eastern province.

BANGKOK: -- THE COMMERCE MINISTRY is preparing to resume selling rice from its stockpiles in early August, gradually releasing it in small lots of about 500,000 tonnes a month.

Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said a subcommittee had agreed the ministry should go ahead and sell rice from the stockpiles and not wait for completion of a junta-ordered inspection of the stocks.

The rice-release plan, which will be proposed to the Rice Policy and Management Committee soon, includes sales through general auctions to exporters and local traders, by government-to-government contracts, and through the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand.

Duangporn added that the department would ensure the stocks are released transparently, with the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office jointly inspecting the process.

The department reported that about 55 per cent of 1,800 rice warehouses had so far been inspected by the teams dispatched by the military's ruling National Council for Peace and Order. The teams are expected to complete their mission by the end of September.

About 18 million tonnes of rice is reported to be in the government's stocks.

Duangporn said the market price for rice had been trending upwards because of concerns over drought and lower production in many countries, amid higher demand in many others. There is a good possibility that Thailand will export 10 million tonnes of rice this year. It is expected to sell off all 18 million tonnes in its stockpiles within three years, she said.

The department reported that Thailand was able to sell 5.35 million tonnes of rice in the first six months, up by 50 per cent year on year, while export value rose 19 |per cent to US$2.7 billion (nearly Bt86 billion).

As of July 16, the price of 5 per cent Thai white rice was quoted at $427 a tonne, up from $410 the previous week.

She added that production of Thai paddy rice in the 2014-15 harvest season was projected to be less than 38 million tonnes because of drought in many areas.

Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the government should consider selling rice from its stockpiles in small lots of about 100,000-200,000 tonnes per auction to avoid impacts on the market price.

"The government has less pressure to accelerate the sale of rice from the stocks. The country has 'holder power'. It should ensure transparency and minimum impacts to the market," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Ministry-seeks-to-resume-small-lot-rice-sales-in-A-30239277.html


-- The Nation 2014-07-24

The rice-release plan, which will be proposed to the Rice Policy and Management Committee soon,

Looks like the guy in the picture is releasing the rice already ahead of plan. Not much mor to release anymore if they don't hurry up.

'She added that production of Thai paddy rice in the 2014-15 harvest season was projected to be less than 38 million tonnes because of drought in many areas.'

Even that puts another 20 million up for export, and we all know they won't be able to sell it while the stockpiles are being sold.

I actually liked the past proposals of an OPEC style 'rice cartel' between Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam that was considered in the past, but never happened because of the lack of ability to get the countries to cooperate between themselves. But now with ASEAN this could be a lot easier and could bring in all ASEAN rice producing countries.

Between then they could have a massive influence on global price controls like OPEC does with oil. Show me an OPEC country that is poor.

Between then they could have a massive influence on global price controls like OPEC does with oil. Show me an OPEC country that is poor.

You forget that oil is a commodity which without the world stops turning. Rice isn't .

Between then they could have a massive influence on global price controls like OPEC does with oil. Show me an OPEC country that is poor.

You forget that oil is a commodity which without the world stops turning. Rice isn't .

Rice is the staple of 3 billion people, whom depend on it for their very survival.

Without rice a global famine would occur... without oil it wouldn't.

You are very uninformed on the value of rice to the world.

Before oil the world wasn't turning??????

But that aside, nowhere in my post was I denigrating the importance of oil, it is very much important as we have come to rely heavily on it.

I was merely using OPEC as an example of a very successful alliance between countries who have profited massively by this alliance and ability to exploit the rest of the world's dependency on their commodity.

Rice is also a commodity of equal global importance.

So it makes sense that by far the biggest region for rice production gets together.

It pushes up the global prices (if they want that) while it stays cheap in the production countries the same as oil does.

By the way..... You can make fuel from rice, you can't make food from crude oil unless you want to live on a diet of margarine.

Between then they could have a massive influence on global price controls like OPEC does with oil. Show me an OPEC country that is poor.

You forget that oil is a commodity which without the world stops turning. Rice isn't .

Rice is the staple of 4 billion people.

Without rice a global famine would occur... without oil it wouldn't.

You are very uninformed on the value of rice to the world.

Before oil the world wasn't turning??????

You're right, the world was turning before oil was discovered.

Between then they could have a massive influence on global price controls like OPEC does with oil. Show me an OPEC country that is poor.

You forget that oil is a commodity which without the world stops turning. Rice isn't .

Rice is the staple of 4 billion people.

Without rice a global famine would occur... without oil it wouldn't.

You are very uninformed on the value of rice to the world.

Before oil the world wasn't turning??????

You're right, the world was turning before oil was discovered.

Like I said, I wasn't knocking the importance of oil, I was using OPEC as an example, but you have obviously just wanted to start an argument.

My post was at least looking for intelligent solutions to a serious problem Thailand currently has.

All you could come up with was a joke about rice spilling out of a sack carried by an inspector, which I had also noted myself but thought it wasn't worth a mention, as it really wasn't that funny or helpful.

You also seem to want to undermine constructiveness for equally unhelpful reasons.

I suppose that is the difference between you and me.

You either agree or disagree with a person's post. If you disagree then at least come up with something credible instead of just pissing about.

End of conversation.