Thailand

The Thai government has reiterated it will do everything in its power to keep the country's rice farming land out of the hands of foreign investors.

Foras Investment Company conducted a pre-feasibility study on rice plantation in Mauritania in 2008. The aim of the study is to sieze the opportunity of setting up a rice farm on 2000 hectares in Rosso area.

Thailand's Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has not found evidence to confirm claims that foreigners are using Thai nominees to buy farmland in Thailand.

It seems that the mere mention of foreigners about to snap up our farmland to grow rice will make our blood of patriotism boil instantly. Yet, the same hostile attitude has never been detected from the Thai public or bureaucracy when big swathes of farmland are bought by Thai businessmen in order to transform them into housing or industrial estates.

Thai farmers were justified when they told television news they did not agree with the proposal of letting the Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) start its own farms in Thailand.

Thai exporters are concerned about the "land-grabbing colonialism" strategy being used by developed nations such as South Korea to reap benefits from agricultural goods grown in a second country and exported to other nations.

"We have no choice but to continue leasing and buying land," said Abdullah Al Obaid, head of the strategy unit at the Ministry of Agriculture in Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria allows foreigners -- like Thailand's Riceland International Co -- to lease land for growing rice and to run rice-related businesses including milling and processing.

Global food supply concerns have revived fears of foreigners seeking to do farming in Thailand. Some farmers worry they could end up being little more than serfs.

Private Saudi firm Planet Food World (PFWC) will invest around $3 billion in agriculture in Turkey over the next five years to export food products to the Gulf region, the head of its Turkish unit said.

Thailand is keen on reaching bilateral agreements with Qatar on various economic investments from agriculture particularly on food, oil and gas and tourism sectors, visiting Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said yesterday.

"We believe there are many opportunities for investment in Thailand and Philippines and for both countries in Bahrain," a Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry representative said. "Food security is one area we are trying to emphasise. We had discussions in planting and growing bananas and rice in both countries."