Bangkok - My channel partners talked about the record prices of rice, which is one of the staple food for half of the world's population has more than doubled in the past year. Since World War II, Thailand has been the World's largest exporter of rice, and may decide to restict shipments thus worsening a current global food crisis. China, Vietnam, India and Egypt have curbed overseas sales to safeguard domestic supplies and cool inflation. Thailand ships about one-third of the world's exports, may follow its Asian neighbours in limiting sales.
Thailand has 2.1 million tons of rice as reserve stockpile. Thailand produces about 30 million tons of paddy annually, equivalent to about 20 million tons of milled rice. Of that, some 9 million tons are for domestic consumption while a similar amount is for export, and the remaining 2 million tons are retained as safety stocks by the state.
Singapore is a small country and have to import most food. So, I am very grateful for the foresight and mandatory requirement of the Government on rice supplies that Singapore do not need to touch her rice stock pile.
Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said that the current adequate supplies make it unnecessary to draw on Singapore's national rice stockpile. The stockpile is a result of the Government's requirement that all rice traders maintain an amount equivalent to twice their monthly imports. Importers say the stockpile, enough to see Singapore through three months in an emergency, is stored in three government warehouses.
Meanwhile, importers are ensuring supplies remain stable by sourcing rice from alternative sources. Apart from Thailand, major rice importer FairPrice, for example, brings in the grain from Australia, India and Vietnam. It has not stopped looking for other potential suppliers. Singapore imported 326,854 tonnes of rice last year - 60 per cent from Thailand, another 30 per cent from Vietnam and India and the remaining 10 per cent from about 15 countries.
Thailand has 2.1 million tons of rice as reserve stockpile. Thailand produces about 30 million tons of paddy annually, equivalent to about 20 million tons of milled rice. Of that, some 9 million tons are for domestic consumption while a similar amount is for export, and the remaining 2 million tons are retained as safety stocks by the state.
Singapore is a small country and have to import most food. So, I am very grateful for the foresight and mandatory requirement of the Government on rice supplies that Singapore do not need to touch her rice stock pile.
Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry said that the current adequate supplies make it unnecessary to draw on Singapore's national rice stockpile. The stockpile is a result of the Government's requirement that all rice traders maintain an amount equivalent to twice their monthly imports. Importers say the stockpile, enough to see Singapore through three months in an emergency, is stored in three government warehouses.
Meanwhile, importers are ensuring supplies remain stable by sourcing rice from alternative sources. Apart from Thailand, major rice importer FairPrice, for example, brings in the grain from Australia, India and Vietnam. It has not stopped looking for other potential suppliers. Singapore imported 326,854 tonnes of rice last year - 60 per cent from Thailand, another 30 per cent from Vietnam and India and the remaining 10 per cent from about 15 countries.
So, if 326,854 tonnes divided by 12 months and multiply by 2 times, would give a stock pile of 55,000 tonnes of rice for Singaporeans in times of emergency.
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