NEWSPAPER SECTION: Business, WRITER: Phusadee Arunmas

Thailand intends to sell other agricultural products to Singapore through a government-to-government (G2G) agreement following the success of the first agreement on rice trade.

Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said Thailand’s private sector has exported rice to Singapore for years. The first G2G agreement for rice marks significant progress in two areas: it establishes formal G2G rice trade and enhances international food security.

The implementation will be under a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on rice trade, with Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade and Singapore Food Agency playing key roles in managing the trade process.

The MoC is valid for a period of five years and can be renewed upon mutual consent from both countries.

“This agreement goes beyond rice trade as it fosters international confidence. It initiates the sale of 100,000 tonnes of rice over five years with future potential to include other agricultural products such as pork, chicken and fresh agricultural products,” Mrs Suphajee.

She said Singapore relies on food imports. Amid global uncertainties in areas such as climate, geopolitics and pandemics, many countries are prioritising food security. Hence, Thailand, with its robust agricultural sector, can be a vital partner to enhance food stability for its trading partners.

In the first nine months of this year, Thailand exported 90,031 tonnes of rice to Singapore, a 5% year-on-year increase. Thai hom mali rice accounted for 49.9% of total rice exports, followed by white rice at over 29% and Thai fragrant rice at 16.2%.

Currently, Thailand is the third largest rice supplier to Singapore with a market share of 22.3%, trailing India at 42.8% and Vietnam at 28.1%.

Mrs Suphajee said Thailand had held discussions with countries in Asean, the Middle East, Europe and North America, and many countries expressed an interest in Thailand’s food security model, particularly those relying heavily on food imports.

“We can extend this model to other countries and agricultural products to create a food collaboration network at the regional and global levels,” she said.

This policy also aligns with the trade diversion trend, as countries have adjusted their import sources and export destinations to mitigate risks in the global supply chain, Mrs Suphajee said.

“Thailand can take this opportunity to establish a strategic position for the agricultural sector and play a crucial role in global food security,” she said.

Published Date: November 11, 2025