Thai rice exporters stir in choppy waters as challenges loom ahead

Rice exporters in Thailand are bracing for a challenging year ahead due to a host of risk factors, including fluctuating exchange rates, waning competitiveness of Thai rice, fierce price competition, the potential impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, and India’s restrictive export policies, as reported by the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

The association’s honorary president, Chookiat Ophaswongse, referred to data from the US Department of Agriculture that suggests a steady global milled rice production of 513 million tonnes for this year. The major contributors are China with an output of 144 million tonnes and India with 132 million tonnes. Thailand’s production is anticipated to align with last year’s figure, close to 20 million tonnes.

However, Chookiat predicts a slight decrease in Thailand’s rice exports, projecting around 7.5…