Export priority will be given to ASEAN members.
As Southeast Asian nations struggle with food shortages, particularly rice, ASEAN food-supplying countries have pledged to help member states that are struggling.
Malaysia’s Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said that ASEAN members, specifically rice-producing nations such as Thailand and Vietnam, will prioritize their Southeast Asian counterparts when it comes to selling rice globally.
“We discussed the issue of food security, for example, if there is a shortage among ASEAN countries, we hope that other ASEAN countries can quickly step in to provide support,” Mohamad said in a Malay Mail report.
Thailand and Vietnam are among the region’s largest rice exporters. IMAGE: File Image
The agreement came at the 45th ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting on October 5, 2023 after Malaysia raised concerns of a rice shortage following India’s export ban. You can read here to learn why prices of rice are skyrocketing across Southeast Asia.
The ASEAN member states comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Timor Leste, meanwhile, is an observer state.
Mohamad added that Thailand will be prioritizing Malaysia when it comes to supplying rice and chicken based on its capabilities.
“If we want to get supplies from Brazil, it might take some time, but with Thailand, we can get chicken in less than a week if we need it, and the same goes for rice. The (Thai) minister said that as long as they have the capacity, they will continue to sell their rice to Malaysia, and Vietnam, as a rice producer, has also expressed their prioritization of ASEAN countries,” he explained.
Source : SE Asia
