However, the original B/L subsequently received from the shipping line showed that the vessel had departed on April 6, preventing the customer in the destination country from importing the lot as “organic rice”.
This sequence did not comply with EU rules requiring a COI to be issued before an organic consignment leaves the exporting country or country of origin.
The matter was not caused by any problem with the product’s quality or standards.
Despite the case, Thai organic rice retains strong potential and a positive growth outlook in the global market.
Data from the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) valued the global organic rice market at about US$7.8 billion, or around THB263.32 billion, in 2024 and forecast continued growth to US$12 billion by 2034.
Thailand exported 22,378 tonnes of organic rice in 2024, worth US$31.1 million, or about THB1.095 billion, representing an increase of 32.0% from 2023.
The breakdown was:
Organic jasmine rice: 72.1%
Organic brown rice: 23.1%
Organic white rice: 3.3%
Organic broken rice: 1.5%
Thailand’s leading organic rice export markets are the United States, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France.
Consumers in these markets prioritise high-quality products and sustainability standards, showing that markets with strict requirements, such as the European Union, continue to offer strong growth opportunities for Thai organic rice, provided standards compliance is maintained consistently.