SE Asia Rice Growers Ink Pact To Promote Rice,Improve Quality

Southeast Asian rice producers have signed a five-country regional cooperation agreement to enhance the image and quality of rice grown in the region, Commerce Minister Krirkkrai Jirapaet said Wednesday. The initial focus will be on production technology transfer and information exchange between the five-member countries of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy. 
 
Together, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma control 45% of the global rice trade. Thailand, the world's largest rice exporter, has an export target of 8.5 million metric tons of rice this year, up from 7.5 million tons exported last year. 
 
Additionally, Vietnam plans to export about 5 million tons of rice in 2007, compared to exports of 4.5 million tons in 2006, while Cambodia and Burma ship about 300,000 and 100,000 tons per year respectively.