The Commerce Ministry will urge Japan to enlarge its import quota for Thai rice, as part of the government's plan to boost new-harvest exports.
Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai yesterday said she would talk to state agencies in Japan about extending the country's import quota.
In addition, the government will offer to sell new-harvest rice to Japan as part of the ministry's plan to boost exports via government-to-government contracts.
Porntiva will accompany Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on a visit to Japan next week in a bid to forge closer economic ties.
"We hope Japan will consider importing three to four times more rice in the near future," she said, adding that the country currently imports mainly low-quality rice to supply its rice-product manufacturing sector.
Porntiva said Thailand could export an overall 2 million tonnes from the new rice crop over the remainder of the year. Of the total, 1 million tonnes will be under government-to-government contracts.
The ministry is planning to visit the Philippines to negotiate rice sales on a government-to-government basis.
It also plans to increase rice exports via government-to-government contracts to between 2 million and 3 million tonnes next year.
"Importing countries are placing orders to build up their stocks. Thai exporters also forecast rice prices will increase beyond the level during the food crisis of last year," the minister said, adding that jasmine rice would exceed Bt30,000 per tonne.
The higher-price trend derives from major importing countries having faced natural disasters that direct affected their rice production.
Yanyong Phuangrach, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the reference paddy rice for November 1-15 had been fixed.
Jasmine rice is quoted Bt14,840 per tonne, with the price gap to compensate farmers under the government's income-guarantee project at Bt460 per tonne.
Bt8,389 is quoted for white rice, Bt9,175 for Pathum Thani rice and Bt7,680 for sticky rice.
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