page_title: Rice production in Thailand
section_title: Importance of rice
hierarchical_section_title: Rice production in Thailand / Importance of rice
caption_attribution_description: Rice farmers who are transplanting in Chaiyapun, Thailand, are members of the local community to manages the supply of the agricultural water. This picture was taken by TORIKAI Yukihiro, a Japanese economist, in 2004/09/01. タイ東北地方チャイヤプーン県で田植えをする農民。地域コミュニティのメンバーとして農業用水を管理管理する。2004年9月1日鳥飼行博撮影。
context_page_description: Rice production in Thailand represents a significant portion of the Thai economy and labor force. In 2017, the value of all Thai rice traded was 174.5 billion baht, about 12.9% of all farm production. Of the 40% of Thais who work in agriculture, 16 million of them are rice farmers by one estimate.
  Thailand has a strong tradition of rice production. It has the fifth-largest amount of land under rice cultivation in the world and is the world's second largest exporter of rice. Thailand has plans to further increase the land available for rice production, with a goal of adding 500,000 hectares to its already 9.2 million hectares of rice-growing areas. Fully half of Thailand's cultivated land is devoted to rice.
  The Thai Ministry of Agriculture projects paddy production for both the main and second crops to hit 27-28 million tonnes in the 2019–2020 season, dragged down by a drop in second crop production due to floods and drought. Jasmine rice, a higher quality type of rice, is the rice strain most produced in Thailand although in Thailand it is thought that only Surin, Buriram, and Sisaket Provinces can produce high quality hom mali.
context_section_description: Rice is central to Thai society.  Rice uses over half of the arable land and labor force in Thailand. Of Thailand's eight million farm households in 2020, four million cultivate rice. It is one of the main foods and sources of nutrition for most Thai citizens: yearly per capita consumption in 2013 was 114.57 kg. Rice is also a major Thai export. Despite its importance to the nation, the industry is under threat. According to Dr. Suthad Setboonsarng, the top three threats are, "(i) increase in competition in the international market; (ii) growing competition with other economic activities that increases the cost of production, especially the labour cost; and (iii) degradation of ecological conditions. Rice research has to address these challenges."
caption: Rice farmers transplanting rice, Chaiyaphum Province
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