FAO urges Kingdom to maintain rice exports to help rein in world price
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The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation Monday urged Thailand not to reduce rice exports, as this would aggravate increases in rice prices in the global market and limit access by the poor.
Man Ho So, the FAO’s deputy director for the AsiaPacific region, said the government had established a very high price for rice under its pledging project, resulting in lower exports from Thailand. The policy has moved the global price of rice upwards, so some consumers are unable to afford enough food.
The rice pledging scheme is an internal policy of Thailand in which the FAO can take no role. However, the organisation wants Thai rice export maintained so the world price is not driven even higher.
The Nation
