Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has instructed Thai commercial ambassadors in foreign countries to ramp up marketing campaigns for Thai rice, particularly premium-grade grains, in a move to improve domestic rice prices.
The marketing campaigns are targeted at department stores, supermarkets, popular online platforms and Thai restaurants certified with the Thai Select seal by the Commerce Ministry, he said yesterday.
Thai Select is part of the Thai Kitchen World Cuisine programme introduced in 2006 to capitalise on the global popularity of Thai cuisine.
The certification for restaurants is divided into two categories based on decoration and service excellence.
Thai Select Premium indicates a degree of excellence of five stars or higher. This label is granted to restaurants that offer authentic Thai food of premium quality with luxurious decor and outstanding service.
Thai Select indicates 3-4 stars, awarded to restaurants serving fine authentic Thai cuisine.
According to Mr Jurin, rice marketing campaigns for both offline and online channels should align with consumer trends in each market.
For instance, he said, rice bound for China should be the premium variety for health-conscious consumers and the elderly, while promotions for the Japanese market should focus on functional food such as organic rice and Riceberry strains to cater to health concerns and aged consumers.
The ministry expects rice exports to pick up in the final quarter, driven largely by a weaker baht, making Thai rice more competitive and prompting higher global demand.
Rice exports started improving in June, helped by larger purchases from China, the Philippines, Cameroon, Malaysia, Mozambique and Singapore.
Keerati Rushchano, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said recently Thailand's rice exports are expected to continue increasing in the last quarter, with more than 700,000 tonnes per month.
In the first nine months this year, Thailand's rice exports tallied 3.81 million tonnes, down 6.6% from the same period last year, with an export value of US$2.23 billion, down by 18.3% year-on-year.
In a related development, Mr Jurin also pledged to move forward in working to increase domestic rice prices.
The ministry already convinced pig farmers to buy 50,199 tonnes of low-grade rice from rice farmers to be used as feed meal for pigs. The deal is worth an estimated 535 million baht.