Thai rice exports seen falling over 20%

Thailand’s rice exports are seen falling about 24% to 7.5 million metric tonnes this year, the Commerce Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The lower forecast was due to the resumption of exports from India and improved volumes from other rice producers, Arada Fuangtong, head of the ministry’s Foreign Trade Department, told a media conference.

Easing drought conditions are supporting yields and major importers such as Indonesia may have less demand, the ministry said.

Thailand, the world’s second-largest rice exporter after India, shipped 9.95 million tonnes of the crop in 2024, its highest level in six years and up 13.4% on an annual basis.

Rice export volumes dropped 7.1% in December from a year earlier, but rose 13.4% to 9.95 million tonnes in the whole of 2024.

Thailand, the world’s biggest rice exporter after India, expects rice shipments to drop to about 7.5 million tonnes in 2025 due to more competition from India and less demand from Indonesia, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

Tags: exports, Indonesia, rice, India, Thailand