Iran war knocks out Thai Mideast rice exports, squeezing farmers harder

Name: Oil tankers set ablaze by Iranian drones as shipping vessels targeted in Middle East war
Uploaded: 2026-03-14T00:30:08.000Z
Duration: 1 min 22 s
Description: Oil tankers set ablaze by Iranian drones as shipping vessels targeted in Middle East war

The situation could ripple through the nation’s economy and further batter growers struggling with falling domestic prices

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A rice vendor waits for customers at a market in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: EPA-EFE

Bloomberg

Published: 8:30am, 14 Mar 2026

Thai rice exports to the Middle East were halted as the escalating war disrupts shipments to the nation’s largest market for the grain, further straining farmers grappling with rising costs and reduced overseas demand.

Two ships carrying a combined 80,000 tonnes of rice bound for Iraq were suspended at a Bangkok port this week, with buyers instructing containers be unloaded and the grain returned to warehouses, Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said in an interview.

“Everything is at a standstill,” Chookiat said, adding that shipments to the Middle East could be suspended for months. “No new purchases are happening either because nobody knows what will happen.”

The situation threatens to further batter farmers struggling with falling domestic prices and a strong baht eroding their overseas competitiveness. The pressure on rice growers could ripple through the nation’s economy. Thailand’s agricultural sector accounts for about a quarter of the workforce.

The nation’s rice exports were already forecast to fall 11 per cent this year to 7 million tonnes, a five-year low. The outlook has darkened further because Iraq – Thailand’s largest rice buyer – requires shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, where a Thai cargo ship was struck this week by Iranian projectiles.

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Oil tankers set ablaze by Iranian drones as shipping vessels targeted in Middle East war

Thai rice shippers are facing steep war-risk surcharges and higher freight rates tied to rising fuel costs, Chookiat said.

Iran war knocks out Thai Mideast rice exports, squeezing farmers harder

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The situation could ripple through the nation’s economy and further batter growers struggling with falling domestic prices

The situation could ripple through the nation’s economy and further batter growers struggling with falling domestic prices