Thai Commerce Ministry attempts to sell more rice in 2013

KHAO YAI (Nakhon Ratchasima) , Feb 10 (TNA) - The Commerce Ministry will focus on selling rice on government-to-government basis this year while paddy harvesting during this season which ends at the end of February and joining the government-sponsored rice-pledging programme is expected at slightly over 10 million tonnes, far less than earlier projection of 15 million tonnes, said Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Commerce Vatchari Vimooktayon. Her remarks were made following the end of a seminar on Thailand’s trade during 2013, held at the mountain resort of Khao Yai, approximately 175 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Sales of rice this year is projected at the minimum of 7 million tonnes, Mrs. Vatchari said, adding that her ministry will this year focus on selling rice on a big lot basis. On concerns that warehouses stocking rice would not be sufficient for rice which enters the government-sponsored rice-pledging programme, Mrs. Vatchari said all warehouses are able to store as much as 30 million tonnes which are enough for the scheme. So far paddy amounting 9.8 million tonnes harvested during the 2012/2013 season have joined the programme and the government has paid about 132.56 billion baht to farmers, she said. Slightly more than 10 million tonnes of paddy produced during the current season which ends at end-February is expected to join the programme, less than 15 million tonnes projected by Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. Rice to be harvested outside the season this year and join the programme is estimated at between 8-9 million tonnes, she said. Touching on worries that the state-run Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) would encounter tight cashflow to pay to farmers joining the programme, Mrs. Vatchari said the bank has been reimbursed around 60-70 billion baht from late 2012 to the beginning of this year. It is expected BAAC would be reimbursed about 260 billion baht by the end of 2013 while money amounting approximately 300 billion baht has been paid out to cultivators of every crop products so farm she added. (TNA)