BANGKOK: Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce said on Monday it expects the country to export 9 million tonnes of rice in 2016, lower than the 10 million tonnes forecast for 2015. The ministry said dry weather, which hit several rice-growing provinces this year, would impact rice output next year.
“It is expected that output will fall due to the impact of drought,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry valued rice exports in 2016 at $4.79 billion versus $4.86 billion expected in 2015.