BANGKOK, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's rice exports jumped 43.96 percent from a year earlier to 1.12 million tons in January, government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said on Tuesday.
The government has set a rice export target of 7.5 million tons this year as part of efforts to develop the quality of rice varieties and expand access to Thai rice in overseas markets, Chai said in a statement.
Authorities are actively promoting Thai rice through various activities, including trade fairs and business-to-business matching events, as well as through government-to-government agreements, he said.
He added that the government is planning to visit key rice markets such as South Africa, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines to strengthen relationships and expand market opportunities for Thai rice.
According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, the Southeast Asian country's rice shipments are expected to drop by 14.38 percent in 2024 due to lower production on the back of the El Nino weather pattern and increased competition in the global market.
The kingdom exported 8.76 million tons of rice last year, worth 178 billion baht (about 5.14 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 13.62 percent and 28.43 percent, respectively, from the previous year, the ministry's Foreign Trade Department said in a separate statement. ■