Commerce probing allegation of US rejection of Thai rice shipment
The Commerce Ministry has called on anyone who has publicly denigrated the quality of Thai rice to take responsibility for such misinformation if the ministry finds no evidence that exported rice had been refused by the United States.
Deputy Commerce Minister Niwatthumrong Boosongpaisan said the ministry was speeding up its investigation into |the accusation that rice shipped to the US had been |rejected.
Opposition MP Varong Dejkitvikrom said the US had returned 32 tonnes of a 40-tonne shipment of rice after finding it to be substandard.
Meanwhile, the Thai Feed Mill Association agreed to purchase maize for Bt8.80-Bt9.20 a kilogram from farmers in the upcoming harvest season. The agreement came after a meeting between the association and the Commerce Ministry, which is worried about an excessive amount of unsold corn in September and October.
The concern arose after Saha Farm, one of the country’s leading chicken producers, faced financial problems that would reduce its maize purchases this year.
About 3.3 million to 3.5 million tonnes from a total of 4.7 million tonnes of maize is expected to hit the market during the harvest season running from early next month to November.
If producers agree to purchase maize at a suitable price, then the government will not need to intervene in the market, Niwatthumrong said.
Feed-meal producers that agreed to buy up the maize include Charoen Pokphand Foods, Betagro, Krungthai Feedmill, and poultry and egg cooperatives.
