African diplomats in Bangkok are demanding answers from local authorities after officials decided to ship ten-year-old rice to Africa, ostensibly to recoup storage costs on grain. The African diplomats argue the decision is worrying because Thailand is one of the biggest exporters of rice to Africa, selling to countries like Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa in bulk. Other sources for its overall $317 million rice imports included Pakistan ($135 million), India ($130 million), Tanzania ($28.5 million), and South Korea ($10.8 million). Across the continent, Thai rice is most consumed in South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon, Mozambique, and Côte d'Ivoire imported 2.48 million tons in 2023, of the 4.6 million tonnes exported to Africa, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association. Other countries like Zimbabwe (55,691 tons), Algeria (76,747 tons), Angola (135,909 tons), Benin (139,206 tons), and Togo (145,098 tons) also purchased rice from Thailand.

Source: Daily Nation May 23, 2024 03:42 UTC