The Thai Chamber of Commerce has urged the government to finalise measures to control imported rice quality, as Thailand is due to open trade for rice next year.

Under Thailand's commitment to the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) agreement, import tariffs on milled rice and paddy will be cut to zero percent effective next year, said Pornsil Patchrintanakul, the chamber's deputy secretary-general.

"Thai rice will definitely be affected, as the tariff waiver will trigger a flood of grains to Thailand. The government needs to finalise rice-quality standards and sanitary and phytosanitary rules."

Mr Pornsil also urged the government to figure out a mechanism to prevent substandard quality grain from hurting the Thai rice market and being smuggled and sold in the government's rice pledging programmes.

"Thai rice exports will be adversely affected in the future if low-quality imported rice is later slated for export, as consumers will believe the poor quality rice is a Thai grain," he warned. "As rice is a major staple of Thailand's farm products, the government must be more serious about this issue."

Source: Bangkok Post