Bangladesh to scrap planned rice imports from Thailand

Dhaka (Reuters): Bangladesh will scrap a plan to import 150,000 tons of rice from Thailand, agreed at $465 a ton in October, said the head of the state grains buyer.

 “They have been taking too much time to finalise the deal. There is no point in waiting for them when we are getting supplies from other sources, including India, at cheaper rates” the Director General of Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Food Badrul Hasan told Reuters.

Traditionally the world’s fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh emerged as a major importer of the grain in 2017 after floods damaged crops and sent domestic prices to record highs.