Thai 2007 Rice Exports Likely 9 Million MT Vs 7.5 Million MT

Thailand's rice exports in 2007 may rise to 9 million MT compared with 7.5 million MT last year, an industry executive said Friday. "Thailand's rice exports are set to rise due to higher overseas demand, as global rice output is expected to fall this year," Chookiat Ophasawongse, president of the Rice Exporters' Association of Thailand, said on the sidelines of a rice conference in Bangkok.
 
He said rice production globally may fall to 415 million MT in 2007 compared with 418 million MT last year, due to lower rice yield from Indonesian and Philippine crops. Rising consumption is likely to push global rice demand higher in 2007 to 418 million MT versus 414 million MT last year.