Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwankhiri reiterated the government's policy to continue releasing rice stockpiles as much as possible before December 15, when the main crops of rice are entering the market.

Speaking after chairing the Top Executive Program in Commerce and Trade (TEPCoT) ceremony at the Commerce Ministry yesterday, he said the Nigerian government had shown strong interest in purchasing 650,000 tonnes of rice, while Senegal has placed an order for 500,000 tonnes under a government-to-government contract.

However, the Thai government has not yet signed contracts with either country, as it must ensure that it has adequate stockpiles to maintain the security of the local rice supply after such sales.

The country has released almost 4 million tonnes of the 5.7 million tonnes of rice in its stockpiles.
Many other countries have also shown high interest in purchasing Thai rice, as it is the end of their harvest seasons. Trairong said the government would carefully consider release of the remaining stocks, as it must retain some rice for safety.

Meanwhile TEPCoT, participated in by 90 senior government officials and leading businesspeople, proposed that the government set up an independent board to regulate and manage commodities, in particular rice.

Pornsilp Patcharintanakul, deputy secretary-general of the Board of Trade and representative of TEPCoT, said the government must ensure that the new board's management of farm goods was free from political interference.

"The government must set up an independent body to manage rice stockpiles to ensure flexibility and neutrality," he said

Source: The Nation