As of Dec 11, Thai rice exports ranked second globally at 10.35 million tonnes, following India's 11.37 million. "This year, Thai rice shipments were driven by high demand from the Philippines and Indonesia," Mr Boonyarit said. Charoen Laothammatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the global rice market is likely to see stiff competition in the year to come. Global rice trade in 2019 is estimated at 48.31 million tonnes, up 0.10 million tonnes from 2018 because of higher rice production in the US and Vietnam. The global rice stockpile in late 2019 is projected at 163.3 million tonnes, up 1.57 million tonnes from late 2018.

Source: Bangkok Post December 28, 2018 00:14 UTC