Hong Kong remains interested in buying Hom Mali fragrant rice from Thailand despite Vietnam's attempting to penetrate the rice market in Chinese territory, according to Permanent Secretary for Commerce Yangyong Puangraj.

Speaking of the meeting between representatives of the Commerce Ministry, the Thai Rice Exporters Association and the Hong Kong Rice Traders Association to boost bilateral rice trade cooperation, he said Hong Kong is considered Thailand’s second-largest rice export destination after the United States, ranking the top in Asia.

Last year, Hong Kong placed purchase orders for around 200,000 tons of rice worth US$200 million from Thailand. It is expected the demand will increase to 300,000 tons worth $300 million this year.

In 2010, Vietnam exported around 15,000 tons of fragrant rice to Hong Kong. Vietnamese fragrant rice is cheaper, priced at an average of $700-800 per ton, while Thai fragrant rice averages $1,000-1,200 per ton.

With the rice trade cooperation, Mr Yanyong said he believed Hong Kong still wants to buy Thai rice for consumers because the Hong Kong Rice Traders Association considers Thai rice being of better quality than Vietnamese rice.

“Although Vietnam is attempting to expand the rice market in Hong Kong, people in the island prefer to consume Thai Hom Mali rice,” he said.

Hong Kong imported 350,000 tons of rice from many countries last year. Thailand is the largest rice exporter to Hong Kong after China and Australia.

Source: MCOT online news