China to buy Thai agricultural products

BANGKOK, September 8 (TNA) - Chinese state enterprises have agreed to buy Thai agricultural products including 1.2 million tonnes of rice, 300,000 tonnes of cassava and 200,000 tonnes of rubber, said Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisarn. Purchase contracts will be signed within this month and delivery will be completed within a year, said Mr. Niwattumrong who had visited China last Wednesday. Agreements to buy Thai agricultural products were made with state enterprises in the two Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, he said. Besides that China is also interested in buying palm oil as it is less expensive that bean and olive which are used in the production of cooking oil, Mr. Niwattumrong said, adding that he had also invited Chinese businessmen to invest in building agricultural processing plant in Thailand. Mr. Niwattumrong said he plans to visit Russia this week to find ways in exporting agricultural goods to that country. (TNA)