BANGKOK, THAILAND — Over the past two years Thailand’s rice production has been impacted by drought but seems to be bouncing back with an expected 12% production increase in the 2021-22 marketing year, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Thailand’s rice production in the 2021-22 marketing year is projected to be 21 million tonnes, which compares with 18.8 million tonnes in the previous marketing year. Consumption rates are expected to increase slightly as the hotel and restaurant industry rebounds from the COVID-19 outbreak. Recovery from the pandemic also is anticipated to buoy Thailand’s rice exports in 2022 to 9 million tonnes, up 29% compared to 2021.

The USDA expects corn production in the 2021-22 marketing year to slip 2% as farmers switch to a more profitable crop, cassava. Thailand’s corn production in the 2020-21 marketing year remains unchanged at 5.6 million tonnes. Decreased domestic production of the commodity is forecast to reduce corn consumption rate in the 2021-22 marketing year. Corn exports are expected to shrink to a total of 20,000 tonnes in the 2021-22 marketing year.

Wheat production in Thailand is minimal due to unfavorable weather conditions and limited seed development. Growing demand for both milling and feed wheat is anticipated to boost the consumption rate in the 2021-22 marketing year by 3%. In line with expected economic recovery, the USDA estimates Thailand’s wheat imports for the 2021-22 marketing year to be 3.1 million tonnes.