Chinese consumers have switched to buying imported rice from Thailand, or from their own northern provinces, after high traces of cadmium were discovered in some long-grain rice varieties originating from Southern China.
Wang Shutong, an analyst at Sublime China Information (SCI) Co., said the demand for Thai rice is increasing in spite of the fact that it can cost up to nine times as much as local Chinese varieties.
According to data tracked by SCI, the price for the short-grain japonica variety of rice, which hails from the northeast Heilongjiang province, has already increased by 2.6% this month.
The Bangkok Post reports that, despite the fresh opportunities in the market, China’s import quotas are ensuring that foreign rice producers such as Thailand cannot increase their exports in order to make up for the deficiency.
