Commerce Ministry prepares to sell stockpiled rice in Africa and Middle East

BANGKOK, 11 Dec 2014 (NNT) - The Ministry of Commerce is proposing to the Cabinet to sell stockpiled rice to nations in Africa and the Middle East.

According to Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya, the ministry will propose a set of rice-exporting guidelines to the meeting of the national rice policy committee on December 19th. The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality.

Recent inspections show that a large amount of the rice in stock is in a deteriorating condition, the Minister said, but affirmed that the Government would still use an auction in selling the grain as it was still a fair and transparent way for the business.

As for the two million tons of rice that would be sold to China, General Chatchai stated a sale agreement would be signed during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang who would attend the GMS Summit in Thailand on December 19th-20th.

As for new markets, General Chatchai added that his ministry is planning an aggressive public relations campaign to penetrate markets in the Middle East and Africa. He clarified that Middle East countries demand a higher quality grain while a more humble quality rice is wanted in the African markets.

The Minister also mentioned more than 8.7 million tons of rice have been sold during the first 10 months of this year, a 62% jump year-on-year, bringing in a foreign exchange of about 4.3 million US dollars. Thailand’s major rice trading partners are the Benin Republic, Nigeria, China, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Cameroon.

-- NNT 2014-12-11

Once again, always going to do something. Never an announcement that something has been done. On the same page I see that tourist numbers will be up next year, that airport traffic will be up, that the PM had a successful meeting with S. Korea, and now that they are going to sell that rotten rice.

Always going to happen.

I would imagine the deal with China will have a lot more substance than the previous ones which turned out to be fake.

Good that they have got the Ivory Coast back as a customer after the debacle of them having to dump some of a previous shipment.

Lets hope they can convince Iran to start buying again as well.

Once again, always going to do something. Never an announcement that something has been done. On the same page I see that tourist numbers will be up next year, that airport traffic will be up, that the PM had a successful meeting with S. Korea, and now that they are going to sell that rotten rice.

Always going to happen.

They are all gunners...........gunner do this..........gunner achieve that.

The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality.

Or said another way, These countries should buy our low quality and deteriorating rice...we hope.

The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality.

Or said another way, These countries should buy our low quality and deteriorating rice...we hope.

Bon appetit cherie!

The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality.

Or said another way, These countries should buy our low quality and deteriorating rice...we hope.

Africans are a poor, low quality people and deserve cheap, low quality rice.

See what I mean...Thailand will just pat itself on the back for matching food to the customers taste and pocketbook.

"The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality."

I can't believe I just read that statement.

Maybe our Western quality tourists should be dissuaded from visiting Thailand, and persuaded to go and be exported to markets more suitable to their quality!

"The Minister also mentioned more than 8.7 million tons of rice have been sold during the first 10 months of this year, a 62% jump year-on-year, bringing in a foreign exchange of about 4.3 million US dollars. "

Does that mean they have been selling the rice at US$0.5 per ton, not bad when they were buying it for nearly US$500.

I think it should say 4.3 Billion US Dollars.

"The Minister also mentioned more than 8.7 million tons of rice have been sold during the first 10 months of this year, a 62% jump year-on-year, bringing in a foreign exchange of about 4.3 million US dollars. " Does that mean they have been selling the rice at US$0.5 per ton, not bad when they were buying it for nearly US$500. I think it should say 4.3 Billion US Dollars.

I would surmise that the number may be correct as relating to what went into the national coffers from these sales. (The buckets tht cash is transported in have some big holes in them). Just 2 days back one ministry was patting themselves on the back as 10+ million tons had been exported this year and Thailand was number 1 in the world for rice exports???????

prepare for a wave of food poisoning in these areas.

Those people can eat the arse end out of a month old road kill hyena with little ill effect. They will waltz thru spoiled rice like it was day old eggs.and wash it down with rotgut brewed from same. After review of my post I am not sure who I made reference to , the Thai's, Africans, middle easterns, maybe it applies to all of them.

Is preparing the new "selling"?

yummy yummy ... stale old rotten moldy rice

they can sell it to Qatar who can use it to the labourers they got building the stadiums for the WC

idle East not that dumb but ................. Africa ?

Given 90% is sub-standard, 'suitable to their quality' evidently interprets as: countries whose populations are desperate enough to eat anything.

is the weight of the pallets included in the price ?

Perhaps UN Food Aid could do with an offer either as a donation or sale at a discount. there would not be much surplus stocks left after this effort.

Africa wants a more humble grade of rice, ie. low quality is OK if it is cheap enough. well put

The proposed measures take into account the quality of the remaining rice in stock and seek to export them to a market suitable to their quality.

Or said another way, These countries should buy our low quality and deteriorating rice...we hope.

This is where they sell the REALLY GOOD stuff!!

Thailand’s major rice trading partners are the Benin Republic, Nigeria, China, Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Cameroon.

Bon Appetit!