Thailand topped the world in terms of rice exports in the first quarter of 2016, the Thai Rice Exporters’ Association (TREA) announced on April 29.

During January-March, the nation shipped 2.85 million tones of rice abroad for THB 44 billion (USD 1.26 billion), up 34 percent in volume and 23 percent in value.

Thai rice

Big importers of Thai rice in the period include Indonesia with 317,000 tons, Ivory Coast with 272,354 tons, Benin 266,246 tons, and China 257,708 tons.

In March alone, Thailand exported 990,864 tons of rice for THB 15.2 billion (USD 440 million), up 26 percent in volume and 17 percent in value.

According to the TREA, in the list of the world’s largest rice exporters in the first quarter of this year, Thailand was followed by India with 2.3 million tons and Vietnam with 1.4 million tons.

Source: VNA