Thailand will remain the number one rice exporter this year with a volume of 7.5 million tonnes, down 3.1 million tonnes against last year, it says.

FAO estimates that the global rice trade in 2012 will decrease by 2.6 percent, from 35.2 million tonnes in 2011 to 34.3 million tonnes.

Rice exports from Asia in 2012 are forecast to reach 27.2 million tonnes, falling by 300,000 tonnes compared to 27.5 million tonnes last year.

FAO also forecasts that South America will export 2.6 million tonnes of rice this year, down 900,000 tonnes against the previous year. Brazil’s rice exports are predicted to see the sharpest year-on-year decline, by 50 percent.

(VOV)