By Linda Khoo Hui Li
BANGKOK, Jan 9 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Thailand, the world’s second-largest rice exporter, is facing a drop of about 20 per cent in its rice production for the 2020/2021 season as the kingdom is experiencing its worst drought in four decades.
President of Thai Rice Exporters Association Charoen Laothamatas said drought and low water supplies in major reservoirs will lead to a reduction in rice stocks – lowering rice exports and hurting rice farmers.
Thai farmers will start planting the rice crop in May when the rainy season start, and it will be ready for harvest between August and October, while the second round of planting will start from November.
Charoen said the country’s 2020/2021 rice production is projected to reduce 20 per cent to hit 25.6 million tonnes.
“(The harvest from the) second (round of) cultivation is estimated at 3.5 million tonnes, down about 30 percent from 5 million tonnes in the previous season.
“The drop in rice production will drive the price up. Rice importing countries, including Malaysia, are expected to shy away from Thailand to other major suppliers of rice including Vietnam, Cambodia and India,” he told Bernama.
Rice export prices rose following the worsening drought in the kingdom. For example, the price for White Rice 5-per cent category rose from US$423 in Dec to US$443 per metric tonnes, as of January 8.
Thailand produces an average 32 million tonnes of rice a year, of which an average of 10 million tonnes a year is for export.
However, the Agricultural and Cooperatives Ministry said rice production for 2019/2020 season is projected at 27 to 28 million tonnes following the drought and flooding last year.
In 2019, Thailand shipped 7.11 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2019, a drop of 30.4 per cent in the same period the year before. The shipment fetched US$ 2.90 billion – down 24.3 per cent.
In 2018, Thai rice shipments totalled 11.2 million tonnes, a 5 per cent drop from 11.7 million in 2017, but higher than the 9.91 million tonnes in 2016.
Meanwhile, Deputy secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources Samroeng Saengphuwong said the drought, which is expected to last till May, would be more severe this time.
Following low water level in major reservoirs, he said there is insufficient water to grow the crop in some 960,000 hectares of rice fields around Chao Phraya River basin in the coming months.
Therefore, he said the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has instructed farmers to delay the planting season of rice as the country is facing drought and low water levels for irrigating their farms.
“They (farmers) give good cooperation. The government has drawn up measures to assist affected farmers,” he said.
On January 1, Thai Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) warned 31 provinces to prepare for severe drought this year.
–NNN-BERNAMA