Thailand to produce 25 million tons of paddies in 2016

BANGKOK, January 18 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Commerce, has set the country's rice production at 25 million tons of paddies this year, taking market demand and impacts from drought into consideration. Permanent Secretary for Commerce Chutima Bunyapraphasara told journalists of the official target on Monday, after a discussion with representatives of local farmers, retailers, millers and exporters. Chutima said the meeting concluded that Thailand's rice production this year should be at 25.01 million tons of paddies. Chutima assessed if the production turned out as planned, the price of Thailand's white rice should be at 7,500-8,000 baht per ton. Chutima noted that the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will then consider domestic factors, including water supply in different areas before determining the amounts of different kinds of Thai rice to be produced this year, while farmers' organisations will realize the production amounts. According to the senior official, her ministry's Department of Foreign Trade will launch a website in June 2016 to gather information on rice prices and the outlook of the global rice market. Regarding assistance for local rice growers, the senior official revealed that old measures will be reviewed, while relevant associations have been told to propose their ideas on the issue on January 21. Meanwhile, Suthep Khongmark, President of the Thai Agriculturist Association, assured that his group would not exert any pressure as it had done previously because the government has let representatives of rice growers have their say on rice issues although the present market prices of Thai rice are not satisfactory. The Thai Agriculturist Association chief also promised to cooperate with the government's policy on farming zoning and instructions on alternative plants. (TNA)