Philippines remains major importer of Thai rice

Thailand’s rice exports to the Philippines reached nearly 300,000 tonnes during the first half of this year, an increase of more than 110% year on year, making the neighbouring ASEAN country a major export market for Thai rice.

Arada Fuangtong, director-general of the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Foreign Trade, told the media this week that 98.82% of the 295,939 tonnes of Thai rice exported to the Philippines during the period was white rice, followed by fragrant and sticky rice.

She projected that Thailand’s overall rice exports to the Philippines could exceed 600,000 tonnes this year, as Thai rice exporters receive support to introduce more varieties of Thai rice and expand their access to this key import market.

She noted that demand for quality and distinctive rice varieties has been increasing in the Philippines, particularly in urban areas and among restaurants and hotels. The neighbouring country has also welcomed rice imports to ensure sufficient supplies, maintain more stable domestic prices and sustain national food security.

According to the department’s director-general, a Thai delegation comprising representatives from her department and the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) recently visited Manila to introduce and promote more quality Thai fragrant rice varieties with distinctive characteristics.

During the trip, the Thai delegation also met representatives from the Philippine Rice Importers Association (PRIA), Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI), the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in rice trade between the two ASEAN member states.

Arada said that discussions and exchanges on developments and prospects in the international rice market, as well as food-security policies and logistics facilitation and development, were also held during the meetings.