THAILAND (4 October)
Harvesting of the main rice crop is about to start. This crop accounts for about 75 percent of annual rice production. The remainder is produced mainly under irrigation, being planted in January-March and harvested in May-July. Reflecting the good rainfall for the main crop and government price intervention programmes, the 2004 output of paddy is provisionally forecast at about 27 million tonnes, 1.8 percent above the record output last year and 5 percent above the average of the previous five years. Harvest of maize is just completed and an output of 4.3 million tonnes is estimated. This is virtually unchanged from last year.
Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter. Following several bumper rice crops and high prices, rice exports in 2004 is expected to reach a record level at 9.2 million tonnes.