Thai Rice Miller Association President Confident Commerce Minister Won't Sign Corn Purchase Deal with US
Thai Rice Miller Association president expressed confidence that Commerce Minister Supachee will reject a US corn purchase deal, citing Thailand's already-sufficient animal feed supplies and concerns over further depressing local agricultur
The president of the Thai Rice Miller Association expressed confidence that Commerce Minister Supachee Paibulsudharmapandh will not sign a contract to purchase corn from the United States. Banrong Tangjitravattanakul, president of the association, stated he had not heard clear details about reports that the commerce minister signed such an agreement, but he is confident she possesses the knowledge and capability necessary for the position. He believes it would be unlikely for her to proceed, as she should be aware that Thailand already has substantial animal feed supplies and has imported nearly 18 million tons of substitute feed products over the past two years. Importing additional American corn would further depress prices for agricultural products in the rice system, including byproducts like rice bran and broken rice, which could fall significantly—white rice bran dropped to just 6 baht per kilogram last November. This gives him confidence that the minister would not follow the previous government's path, especially since the US has already decided to eliminate tariff systems and return refunds to businesses in several countries totaling 5 million US dollars. The association president called for waiting for clear facts about the news reports but remained confident in the minister's ability to make sound decisions independent of certain group pressures.
