Thailand's Agricultural ministry has decided to expand the rice farmland area by 32,000 hectares in its north-eastern provinces in order to help increase the production of jasmine fragrant rice.

Thai jasmine rice is mainly grown in the north-eastern regions, where it is able to withstand drought and other climatic conditions. Thailand currently produces about 3 million MT of jasmine fragrant rice a year which represents 15% of its total rice production.
 
Thailand is boosting the production of jasmine fragrant rice in line with growing overseas demand, especially from China, for high-quality aromatic rice.