Thailand successfully penetrates new rice market in Canada

BANGKOK, February 27 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Commerce, in conjunction with the private sector, has successfully expanded Thai rice exports to the Canadian market in North America. Caretaker Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara told journalists on Wednesday that Thai polished grains, especially riceberry rice and brown rice, have particularly become widely popular in Canada's Toronto City, especially among health-conscious consumers. "It's the first time that Thailand's polished rice has successfully secured its market share in Canada, especially among health-conscious consumers, under the Wild Rice Blend brand widely sold at CostCo Supermarket, which has over 100 branches across the Canadian economy, after having only captured the niche market in Asia over the past years", said the caretaker minister. The caretaker minister stated that the success came after her ministry's Department of International Trade Promotion and Department of Foreign Trade led a group of representatives from the private sector and the media sector for a business roadshow to promote Thailand's riceberry and RD43 rice in major cities in the United States and Canada in mid-2018, resulting in increasing exports of the Thai polished grains to the Canadian market. The caretaker minister acknowledged that Floating Leaf Company, a leading Canadian importer of rice and cereal products, has initiated to mix the imported Thai grains, including Riceberry Rice, Kow Mum Red Rice and Long Grain Brown Rice, with Calrose Rice imported from the United States and Wild Rice, a locally-grown Canadian rice strain, with the imported Thai grains accounting for about 45 per cent, and has put the mixed grains on market shelves across Canada under the "Wild Rice Blend" brand. Besides, the "Wild Rice Blend" brand has been labeled Superfood and Deep Purple in Color for high antioxidants and nutrients, namely Manganese, Niacin, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc and Copper, in addition to its Non-GMO, Vegan, Kosher and Gluten Free properties, all of which have been widely recognized among health-conscious consumers. According to the caretaker minister, Canada is now one of Thailand's premium-graded rice importing markets, where imports of Thai Hom Mali Rice are particularly significant, as it has become the world's 4th largest importing market for the Thai fragrant rice, after the United States, Hong Kong and China. Based on official statistics, Thailand's rice exports to Canada stood at 87.69 million US dollars in 2018, a 24.38 per cent year-on-year increase, with the exports of riceberry rice alone increasing by 39.83 per cent year-on-year. (TNA)