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BEIJING (Reuters) - China s agriculture ministry on Tuesday said it had called for a nationwide crackdown on the production and sale of counterfeit, low-quality seeds as the government makes the seed sector a pillar of its food security push.
Rice-producing regions in southern China should strictly control seed quality, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement, adding that Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Shandong, should focus on inspecting imported seeds.
The ministry said it had issued a notice calling for a nationwide seed inspection on Monday.
China s seed sector was given top priority in a major policy document released last month, as the agriculture ministry - led since December by minister Tang Renjian - steps up efforts to ensure food security for its 1.4 billion population.
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BANGKOK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Thailand is expecting to ship 6
million tonnes of rice in 2021, 5% higher than last year, when
it exported its lowest volume of the grain in two decades, the
commerce ministry said on Monday.
The 5.27 million tonnes exported last year means Thailand
has moved to number three in the world for rice exports,
overtaken by Vietnam, which shipped 6.2 million tonnes of the
grain. Six million tonnes is a challenging target, Kirati
Ratchano, director-general of Department of Foreign Trade, told
a news conference after meeting exporters. The baht will likely continue to appreciate, making Thai
rice more expensive than competitors.