DFT head assures that China will continue to import cassava from Thailand

BANGKOK, 30 December 2015 (NNT) - The Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) has assured Thai cassava exporters that China will not reduce its long-term cassava imports from Thailand.

The price of cassava for export has been depressed by news of China reducing its Thai imports, following the Chinese government policy to subsidize maize. As a result, Chinese manufacturers that produce alcohol from cassava have switched to corn.

DFT Director-General Duangporn Rodphaya assured that the Chinese government's policy is short term and will only affect certain corn-producing counties. She added that China’s Ministry of Agriculture said it will encourage farmers to reduce the size of corn plantations in 2016.

China has also made a pledge at the recent joint-commission meeting on trade, investment and economic cooperation on December 17 not to reduce Thai imports of cassava.

Mrs Duangporn urged cassava exporters to carefully examine the news before making any comments, as negative reactions can cause unnecessary price fluctuations.


-- NNT 2015-12-30

thank goodness

but not happy at the price

The price has been depressed this year. One reason that was given at a village meeting was that the large exporters had been mixing in too much dirt to boost the weight so giving Thai cassava a bad name and exports have suffered. The price the farmers get is already reduced by 10% to allow for dirt content which is way over the top as it amounts to only 1-2% in reality. It would not surprise me at all if the story was true as it is fairly typical of the business approach here but I would be surprised if it was anything new. Maybe they just got found out and gone into denial mode.

Not reduce, no never, not ever!

Cassava is biodegradable and is used to make bags. You can buy cassava bags at your local 7/11. Hope the Chinese get environmentally friendly and use some of the imported cassava to make recycled bags too.

`There are tens of thousands of acres of it around where I live in Isaan so I hope the Chinese don't reduce imports of it,

As is usual here a few people made some money from it in the last 2-3 years so everyone else has jumped on the gravy train thinking they will do well too, of course obviously this causes a glut & the price at the moment is 2 Baht/kilo TIT

The price has been depressed this year. One reason that was given at a village meeting was that the large exporters had been mixing in too much dirt to boost the weight so giving Thai cassava a bad name and exports have suffered. The price the farmers get is already reduced by 10% to allow for dirt content which is way over the top as it amounts to only 1-2% in reality. It would not surprise me at all if the story was true as it is fairly typical of the business approach here but I would be surprised if it was anything new. Maybe they just got found out and gone into denial mode.

Has the Chinese taken over as large exporters? Sounds like a practice common to the Chinese, recalling Melamine, artificial eggs, rat meat as pork, etc...

Nothing like having these value added exports to offer the world markets.

Alcohol and bags, what else is cassava used for. I can't remember seeing it in a grocery store.

I know Google is my friend, which I just did. I do like Tapioca. I still don't know if I have ever

had it in bread or pastries.

Edited December 31, 201510 yr by Ulic