Boonsong: G-to-G rice deals secret

Boonsong: G-to-G rice deals secret

Fine details of the government-to-government rice sales are confidential and not for public release, Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

The information could not be disclosed as it could affect the rice buyers, because rice is a politically sensitive commodity, he added.

Mr Boonsong said altogether 7.3 million tonnes of rice were sold through the G-to-G deals and the buyers included Indonesia, China, Philippines, Bangladesh and Ivory Coast.

Of the total, 1.4 million tonnes had been delivered to the buyers, another 300,000 tonnes would be delivered between now and December, and the remaining 5.56 million tonnes would be gradually shipped out next year, he said.

The 42 billion baht in proceeds from these rice deals had been paid to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, he added. The BACC funds the rice pledging programme through loans and budget funding.

The minister insisted that the government has not monopolised the rice market as alleged. Rice exporters, traders, millers and food processing manufacturers who use rice as a raw material could take part in the public auctions of the ministry.

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